Snow in the Sand
by CrazyAnimationChick
Summary: It all started when the Boogeyman used King Runeard's fear to kill the Northuldra leader, setting up a chain of events that led Iduna to Agnarr & that eventually led to their daughters. Upon seeing the gift that Elsa holds, Pitch will stop at nothing until she is on his side. But the heroes in this tale are determined to win. But against who? The Nightmare King or the Snow Queen?
1. Chapter 1

**FULL SUMMARY: **It all started when King Runeard killed the Northuldra leader, setting up the chain of events that led Iduna to Agnarr and that eventually led them to their daughters. But darkness has been setting on the horizon for years, gaining strength until it is time for the real battle to begin. Pitch Black has waited for far too long and has already been defeated once without an army. He doesn't plan on losing again, especially without backup, and the heroes in this tale don't plan on letting him win.

But Fate does not know the outcome of the future. The future is always changing with every decision made. However, it was Fate that brought these strangers together. Strangers from all over the world. Now it is up to them to be sure that the darkness doesn't tear them apart.

But when Agnarr and Iduna's eldest daughter, Elsa, is exposed, who should everyone be more afraid of? The Nightmare King or the Snow Queen?

**A.N: This is a BIG AU Crossover story with characters from movies that you probably think are stupid/weird to add (such as Fiona and Artie from Shrek for example) but I promise it won't be stupid. Please give this story a chance. I'm begging you haha. Anyway, on with the show.**

Our tale begins long before the birth of many of our heroes. In fact, it begins with the parents of two sisters. In the Norwegian kingdom of Arendelle, deep within the woods and far from the castle walls, as north as one can possibly go, lies an enchanted forest. And within that forest resides the Northuldra tribe. The Northuldra are Arendelle natives and while they are not people born of magic, they use magic in their every day life. The forest that they have lived in for centuries is protected by four elemental spirits: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air.

Respectively, they take the form of a water horse, a rock giant, a salamander, and a breeze that holds onto a few leafs, giving it a type of visual form. As one, the Spirits and Northuldra have lived in harmony, and when they came in contact with an Arendellian King who had promised peace and gifted them with a bridge, both the Spirits and Northuldra welcomed them with warm hugs and bright smiles, happy to have new friends and allies.

But you see, the Spirits of the Forest are not the only magical beings in the world. I myself am a magical being, a very ancient one I should add, and on that dreadful day...there was another ancient one with me. I did not know of his presence, not until it was too late and he made himself known.

The Arendellian King, King Runeard, was consumed with fear, fear that was increased by this other ancient, and because of his fear, he killed the Northuldra leader. It was his plan for months, to kill off the Northuldra tribe, and only few of his soldiers knew of his plan. Some nearby Northuldra saw the murderous act and attack the royal soldiers without question. A battle broke out and it angered the spirits. I've never seen them so angry before.

King Runeard died, but his son, Agnarr, who he had brought with him to 'celebrate' the official alliance with the Northuldra, was saved after being knocked out. He was saved by a Northuldra girl named Iduna, who called to the Wind Spirit to help get him and her out of the forest, away from the violence.

I followed them, making sure that they were led to safety, and watched as the Wind had set them inside an empty cart and blew them away, into the direction of the kingdom. I prayed that the journey back would be easy, and continued to watch as Iduna covered herself with the blanket that was available in the cart, so she wouldn't be seen by Agnarr or the kingdom's civilians, and I knew that as Mother Nature, it was my duty to watch over her, the now orphaned girl. I had planned to continue following them, to make sure they gotten to Arendelle with no trouble, but I was stopped when the other ancient revealed himself.

"Ah violence and fear," his voice had said from behind me, sending shivers down my spine. "Isn't it beautiful? Or does it not compare to the beauty of nature? I must say, King Runeard's fear of the magic that the Northuldra live with was quite...delicious."

I had wanted to attack him right that second, but I knew that he was expecting it, so I had willed myself to stay calm. "How typical of you," I had snapped, whirling around to face him, and when I did I was not at all surprised to see that his appearance was still the same as it was centuries ago since the last time I saw him. "To destroy something so wonderful with your darkness."

He had laughed at me, showing his sharp teeth, and said: "Oh Tara, you know as much as I do that darkness needs to be shown in order to reveal the light."

"And what," I had hissed, taking a step toward him and clenching my fists, "is the light you wish to reveal, Pitch Black?"

He had shrugged as he made his way toward me, circling around me like I'm his prey, and said, "A break from boredom. Me causing him to give in to his fear was just a little bit of harmless fun. I'm sure your fellow Guardian, Jack Frost, knows a thing or two about fun times. I'm surprised you didn't bring him with you to such an event. I'm sure he would have had a blast."

"He was needed at the Pole," I had said, feeling protective of the boy who I viewed as my own son. "And harmless fun, you say?! People died today, Pitch! They died because of you!"

He had stopped circling me, standing directly in front of me with a smirk painted on his face. It had took every inch of me not to slap it off. "Oh, Tara," he had lifted his hand to caress my cheek, the act catching me so off guard that my eyes had widened and I had pathetically froze, "people die everyday. La Muerte knows that first hand."

"Speaking of hands," said the voice of my dear friend, another ancient like Pitch and I, "I suggest you get yours off of her."

La Muerte had stood behind Pitch, and when he had turned around to face her, revealing her to me, I could see the fire burning in her eyes, even from the distance that she had stood at. "You've already caused enough trouble today, Pitch," she had said to him, coming our way. "I suggest you stop and move along."

She had stopped directly in front of him, just as close to him as he was to me the moment before, showing no fear, and Pitch...well he had laughed at her. "Nice to see you too, Holy Death. What brings you here?"

La Muerte had growled and I knew she had wanted to slap him too. "I'm here because of all the death activity my globe had picked up on. Death that you brought! And now, because of you, the survivors are trapped inside the forest!"

"What?!" I had breathed out, shocked to my core, and it as in this moment that Pitch decided to leave.

"Always a downer you two are," he had said with a sigh as he had stepped away from us, "Well, it was nice catching up with you ladies. Tis a shame the fun didn't last any longer, but alas, I have better things to do than be scolded and to worry about trapped people in the woods. Until next time." And with that, a cloud of black sand had surrounded him and his form fell into a glittering black shadow on the ground, vanishing right before our very eyes.

With no hesitation, I had looked up at my friend and said: "What do you mean the survivors are trapped?"

La Muerte had frowned and slightly turned. "Come and you will see."

And so, I had followed her back to the forest's entrance, not sure what to expect, but definitely not expecting to see a thick fog covering one of my most beloved places.

"La Muerte," I had said to her, my eyes never leaving the fog, searching for the four elemental stones that were nowhere to be seen. "What...what is this?"

"I was hoping you'd tell me," she had said as she placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Tara, I watched as some of the people tried to run through it, to escape, but...they were pushed back by some kind of force. A magical wall within the fog. It won't let them leave, and it won't let anything else enter, not even a rock. It will only answer to magic."

"So we're able to enter then?" I had asked, observing the fog some more.

From the corner of my eye, I saw her nod. "Si," she had said in her native tongue, which translated to yes. "Surely you can fix this, right? This is the Elemental Spirits' doing. You are Mother Nature. You made these spirits ages ago. If anyone can fix this, it's you. They'll listen and answer to you."

I understood why she had thought that, but she did not fully understand. "No," I had answered with the shake of my head. "It's not that simple. They are their own beings who make their own decisions. I may be their Mother, but I am not their master..." I had paused to take a step forward, reaching my hand out to the fog, "But I am their friend too."

And with that, I had stepped into the mist.

But the mission had failed. The Spirits...

They were nowhere to be found.

It's like they were never there to begin with. As though they never existed. Their absence and the scared people trapped inside broke me into tears, and with there being nothing for us to do, La Muerte and I had reluctantly left, heading for Arendelle in hopes that we'd catch up with the heir and his savior. When we did, the rest of the journey was held in silence; the boy unconscious, the girl still hidden under the blanket, and La Muerte and I invisible to them because we did not want to be seen.

Unlike our fellow Guardians who need believers to be seen, La Muerte and I, Life and Death, can choose who sees us and who doesn't.

When we had made it to Arendelle, the cart had stopped in front of the palace gates. The guards had immediately taken action upon seeing their unconscious heir, but they did not check under the blanket and left the cart unattended after getting their heir inside. Iduna did not hesitate in jumping out of the cart and running into the town, running and running until she found herself in the woods, her only source of familiarity.

Her only reminder of the home that I knew she was trying to return to.

That's when La Muerte and I made ourselves known to her. We introduced ourselves, calmed her down, and told her of the fate of her people and home. However, we did not tell her of Pitch and how he influenced the former King of Arendelle to kill her leader. She had already gone through too much, and I did not want to sadden her even more.

"What do I do now then?" She had asked as her eyes filled with tears. "I-I don't know where to go. My family is...How...how will I..." but she had cut herself off to wipe away the fallen tears that stained her cheeks.

"Oh, mija," said La Muerte before she had bent down to the girl's level. "Everything will be okay. We can't meddle too much with humans, but we will make sure you are settled before leaving."

"Yes," I had agreed, bending down to her level too, "there's an Orphanage that will take very good care of you. You'll have a roof over your head, a nice bed, three meals a day, and friends to keep you company. You'll be safe, Iduna. I promise."

She was silent for a moment, looking at us with beautiful blue eyes, searching our own eyes for any sign of a lie, and when she saw none, she had nodded her head and said in a quiet and defeated voice: "Okay."

We had led to her to the orphanage, where she told the head mistress that she was washed ashore, a lie we had told her to tell, and after her explanation, the head mistress welcomes her inside. Iduna was still hesitant and when she looked back at La Muerte and I, I had wanted nothing more than to bring her back to Moonhaven with me, where she could live among the Leafmen. But we could not meddle anymore than what we already had.

La Muerte and I had smiled kindly at her, and while Muerte waved, I had gestured for her to go inside. Iduna had smiled back, mouthing thank you, and walked through the open door, entering the next chapter of her life, a life that I had secretly watched as the years went on until it no longer was a secret anymore. You'll find out how that happened soon though.

Originally, after leaving her with the orphanage, I wasn't going to check up on her. Not once. Not ever. I was going to let life just...live on. But I eventually gave in to my desire and finally went to see her again, invisible of course, and when I did, I was surprised to see that she was already best friends with the young king of Arendelle. It had warmed my heart seeing her with the boy she had saved, but it made me wonder if he knew that she was his savior.

It was a question, however, that I knew I would never be able to ask and receive an answer to. That is...until I finally revealed myself to her when she was seven months pregnant and took her on quite the adventure. That's when my "spying" was no longer a secret. But it's like I said earlier, you'll find out soon enough what I mean. There's a lot you're going to find out.

Anyway, life went on after that moment I saw her playing with Agnarr as children, and every so often I would not only visit her, but also her home, the Enchanted Northuldra Forest, making sure that the people inside were doing okay. Since there was nothing I could do to help the tribe and remaining soldiers, I felt it as my duty to watch over Iduna and Agnarr for them, the two children who I knew were part of something big. I just didn't know what.

I remained their watcher, their Guardian, mainly for Iduna since she didn't have any guards like Agnarr did, and watched as the pair grew older, fell in love, got married, coronated, and of course...I was there for the birth of their children. She saw me during her first pregnancy, but in total she had two, in which I remained glamoured for the second. The two sisters that I mentioned before? They are their daughters, and it is the eldest who plays a big part in this story. A very big part.

But of course, I said too much.

I'll let you find out the rest for yourself.

**A.N: Characters**

**Queen Tara: Epic (2013)**

**La Muerte: Book of Life (2014)**

**Pitch Black: Rise of the Guardians (2012)**

**Please comment and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**~18 Years Ago~**

**Jack's POV**

Arendelle is a beautiful kingdom, but in the snow it is absolutely stunning. My fingers are itching to make it snow right now since I haven't made it snow here yet, but Queen Tara, or Mother Nature as you may know her as, would get onto me and annoy me with her scolding. She's actually very playful, but lately she's been acting...different. I've tried asking her what the matter was before, but she would always smile sweetly at me and say 'All is well, Jack. Worry not'. She seemed sincere, but her later actions, the lack of communication, the zoning out, the distant gazes over the horizon...they tell me otherwise.

Right now though, she seems to be her normal self, smiling softly and humming a tune in contentment as we walked down the quiet streets of Arendelle, on our way to visit the Queen. It's the middle of the night, the town is asleep, I want to be asleep too, but Tara insisted that I come along with her to keep her company since the others are busy. She also said she had a surprise for me.

"I hope Iduna doesn't mind you waking her up at this time of night," I say as I walked behind her, taking in the breathtaking view of the moon shining down on the kingdom. "Thanks for the light, Manny!" I call out to him, knowing that none of the civilians would hear me since no one believes in me.

That's the sucky part about being me. The only way for people to see me is if they believe in me. With the help of Tara and the others, legends were made about me. To the Vikings I am known as Jokul Frosti, but no one ever believes, and since they don't believe they don't see. I have no believers and it sucks, but I mean...I still have a family so I can't really complain too much.

There's North (Santa Clause), Bunny (Easter Bunny), Tooth (Tooth Fairy), Sandy (Sandman), Lucille (Cupid), Tara (Mother Nature), and La Muerte (Holy Death). North is like a grandfather to me, Bunny my older brother, Tooth and Lucille's my older sisters, Sandy my uncle, La Muerte my aunt, and Tara my mother.

And the eight of us make the Guardians. Protector of the People, mainly children though. We watch over everyone.

North is the Guardian of Wonder, Bunny is the Guardian of Hope, Tooth is the Guardian of Memories, Sandy is the Guardian of Dreams, Lucille is the Guardian of Love, Tara is the Guardian of Life, and La Muerte is the Guardian of Death. North, Bunny, Lucille, and La Muerte are the only ones who are also holiday spirits. Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, and Hallowmas respectively. Why do I say Hallowmas and not Halloween? Because La Muerte's holiday lasts for three days: October 31st to November 2nd. The three day celebration is called Hallowmas or Allhallowtide. Hallowmas is easier to say, so of course I go with the easy choice.

And me? I'm Jack Frost. Guardian of Fun, Bringer of Winter, and King of Mischief.

According to my mortal, childhood teeth, which Tooth collects, I had apparently died about 100 or so years ago saving my sister's life, and because of my act of love, the Man in the Moon granted me a second chance at life. Not just a second chance, but an immortal chance. For the rest of time, I will forever remain an 18 year old boy, and it sucks because no one ever takes me seriously. Although, that probably has less to do with my physical age and more to do with the fact that I'm pretty immature.

"When the sky is awake," Mother Nature says as she points to the Northern Lights, which I've come to learn are a different shade than the lights North uses to signal the Guardians, "she's awake. And if not, then I'll just come back to visit her a different time."

I sometimes wonder what it's like. Having a beloved mortal be so dear to your heart. We're not supposed to form bonds because...well they're mortals. They'll die whereas we live on forever, always to miss them and always to feel the pain of their absence. It's recommended not to get attached because of what will happen later on, and to this day, it still surprises me that Tara, one of the eldest Guardians, broke that rule. She said she didn't mean to, that it just happened, and a lot of the time, that's how it usually goes. By mistake. She also once said, long ago, that she felt it was her duty to watch over Iduna and Agnarr, Iduna more so, because she felt as though she could have prevented it. Prevented the death of both of their people.

It's not her fault that she didn't sense Pitch that day. We've tried telling her that, and while I know she understands, I also know that a part of her still blames herself. She told us all about what had happened that day when the previous King of Arendelle had killed the Northuldra leader. She told us all about the attacked, about Iduna and Agnarr, and especially about her and La Muerte's encounter with the Boogeyman. Yeah, she was very pissed off when she got to him in her tale.

Oh! How could I possibly forget about the Northuldra Forest being covered in fog and the Elemental Spirits vanishing? Yeah, after she told the others and I everything that had happened, we all made sure to visit right after, and I must say that it's a shame that no passing outsiders will be able to witness the forest's beauty. Unless they're magic of course. It's an even bigger shame that the people inside are trapped and that there's literally nothing Tara, myself, and the others can do. But at least the people are thriving. I mean, yeah it sucks that they can't ever leave, but they seem to be living just fine, even after 10 years. But then again...you got to make do with what you have. It's all the newer generations know too, so they really have nothing to miss. Not like their elders.

"You're still going to tell me that thing you mentioned earlier though, right? The whole reason why I even agreed to come along? The surprise you said you had in store for me after your visit with Iduna? Who, you know, still can't see me! I mean really, do you know how rude it is to invite someone with you to visit with another person who doesn't even know that you exist?" I ask her as I flew to her side and matched the pace of her walking. "Talk about being an invisible third wheel."

Tara chuckles. "Jack, you know I never actually talk to her. I just-"

"Watch her in your invisible form like a creep?" I suggest, grinning.

But Tara embraces the idea. "Exactly!" She exclaims, giggling. "It's been about two months since I've last seen her. And don't worry, Jack. You'll get that surprise soon enough."

A few minutes later, our destination is reached. The King and Queen's chambers. The doors were already open, and Tara, ever the polite one, just walks right in like she owns the place. King Agnarr was nowhere in sight, probably in his office doing some late night work, but his wife, Queen Iduna, was indeed awake, laying in bed and reading a book by some guy named Hans Christian Andersen. And the sight of her made my eyes pop out of their sockets.

Because not only did she look like she is on the brink of death, but she is also pregnant!

"Tara, what the hell?!" I exclaim, accidentally cursing, but instead of scolding me for the slip of my tongue, Tara is silent as she looks at the Queen who she sees as a daughter.

Her eyes were also wide in shock and I ask, "Did you not know? You saw her two months ago. Surely she was showing then. I mean, look at her! She looks like she's been pregnant for awhile."

"N-No," she stammered, "I knew about her being pregnant, but...she didn't look so sick last time."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I said nothing and let the awkward silence consume us. It became unbearable when Tara didn't say or do anything, so finally I break the silence by asking, "Was this the surprise? Because, no offense, it sucks." I was trying to lighten the mood, but I failed miserably.

Tara ignored me completely and instead walks toward the edge of the bed and does something she never did before.

After years of watching Iduna in her invisible form, Tara reveals herself, startling the pregnant Queen so much that she cries out in fright, which startles me and makes me drop my staff. "Spirits above!" She cried out, hand over her heart, but then realizes who it is that stood before her and gasped. "Oh...oh my god. Queen Tara? Is that really you?"

Tara's back was facing me, but I didn't need to see Tara's face to know that she was smiling. "Tara, what the hell are you doing?" I say to her, utterly baffled that she just unglamoured herself.

"Hello, Iduna." She says to the Queen, ignoring me. "Or should I say Queen Iduna instead? As a Queen myself, I am all about formalities, and I must say...you've come a long way since the Orphanage. I'm glad you didn't forget about me."

I held back a snort as I bent down to pick up my staff. Not because of the orphanage thing, but because she was rambling and her mention of formalities. Ha! A lot of our snowball fights were started by her. She may be way more responsible than I, but she is definitely not "all about formalities".

Tears fill Iduna's eyes and she laughs. "It really is you! I can't believe it!" She sets the book she was reading aside and goes to pull the covers off of her, but Tara stops her.

"No, please don't get up," she says as she holds her hand out, "You're pregnant and you look sick. You need your rest, Iduna."

Iduna smiles and sits back against the bed frame. "Do I really look that bad?"

"Only a lot," I say out loud, knowing only Tara would hear. Iduna obviously doesn't believe in me, so I can say whatever I want without fear of her hearing. But yes, she does in fact look really, really bad. Her skin is pale, there are dark circles under her eyes, and while her belly is rounded, her face looks too thin, and her collarbones way too sharp. Is she even eating? She's obviously not sleeping according to those dark circle under her eyes. How is the baby doing?

"You've looked better," Tara answers, and sits on the edge of the bed near the Queen's belly. "Especially two months ago when you were at five months."

"Wait, what?" Iduna says, shocked and confused. "Have...have you been watching me?"

"Like a creeper," I say to myself again as I walked around the larger room, absorbing all the details. God, this room is huge. I'd love to have a room like this at the Pole. I'm so putting it on my Christmas list.

From the dresser mirror, I see Tara nod her head in the reflection. "I've been watching you not long after La Muerte and I left you at the orphanage all those years ago. I was always with you, my dear, even when I wasn't. For I am Nature, and Nature is everywhere."

"So why show yourself now after all these years?" The pregnant Queen asks, voicing my question.

"Yeah, Tara," I say to her reflection. "Why now?"

Tara shrugs and says, "I don't know. Perhaps it's because you're going to be giving birth. Perhaps the mother in me wanted to give you comfort. You look like you have a lot on your mind. As one mother to another, I must ask. How are you feeling? And be honest."

Iduna smiles fondly and says, "Tired mostly, more so now with my sickness. I hope you don't catch it, whatever it may be."

This makes me smile. We're immortal. We don't get sick. We can, however, die. Just not from sickness. It's more like, a knife to the chest or something that causes your flesh to be impaled and to bleed out. That kind of stuff.

"Don't worry," says Tara, a little laughter to her voice. "I won't catch it."

The fond smile was still there on Iduna's lips for a moment longer, until finally she finds words to say. "That's relief, and forgive me for changing the topic, but I must ask," she pauses to lightly cough, "you say you've been watching me. Does that mean you were there for the wedding?" She coughs a few more times, all mild, but I knew it would be leading up to a very bad coughing fit.

Tara nods again and I knew she was smiling. "That's right. Your gown was breathtaking. I was also there for your coronation, and I promise that I will definitely be there for the birth of your child. May I?" She gestured to Iduna's belly, and the Arendellian Queen nods.

Tara reaches both of her hands out, gently touching the belly that held a life inside, and even from all across the room, I could see the child kick against Tara's hands. Iduna winces a little and nervously chuckles. "He's been kicking for a while now. I was hoping to be used to it by now, but alas I am not."

"He you say?" says Tara confused. "Sweetheart, what you carry is no he. It's a _she_."

Well damn. That's a twist.

Iduna's eyes widen and she's at a loss for words. "B-But the doctor and Midwife both said-"

She's cut off by Tara's laughter. "You would believe a their word over mine? Mother Nature?"

The shock did not wear off yet. "But how do you know?" But she realizes the answer right away and laughs. "Oh how silly of me. It's like you said. You're Mother Nature. Of course you know." And then her eyes are filling up with tears again. "Oh my. A girl. We're having a girl. Looks like Elson is actually _Elsa_."

"Elsa." I repeat, liking the name and how it easily rolls off the tongue. "I like it. Short, simple, and pretty."

"What a beautiful name," Tara comments, her hands moving away from Iduna's belly so she could hold her hands instead. "She will be a great queen one day. Just like you. I'm so very proud of you, Iduna."

Iduna's smile reaches her eyes. "Thank you. I just wish..." but she trails off, frowning now, which definitely caught my attention.

"Wish what?" Tara urges.

Iduna's eyes were locked on the doors that led to her balcony, to the Northern Lights that danced in the sky. She looks back at Tara a moment later and finishes her sentence. "I just wish I could invite my people, but...I know there is no way to free them, as you have said long ago. There's no way to get in either. I've tried many times in my youth. Though, if you've been watching me as you say you have, I'm sure you already know that."

Tara nods. "Indeed I do." And then she stops to let Iduna continue.

"It...it hurts not knowing who all of my people and family is left, and it hurts me even more knowing that it was them who attacked first. I used to think that they would never be able to do such a thing, but...but I witnessed it and-" She cuts herself off with a sigh and looks away sheepishly. "Forgive me. I haven't seen you in a decade and here I am laying it all out to you. I did not mean to-"

"No, no," Tara interrupts with the shake of her head. "I don't mind at all. I told you earlier to be completely honest with me about how you're feeling. Your emotions count too. Please go on. I happen to be a very good listener and you seem like you have a lot to say. So please don't hold back."

Iduna was quiet for a moment, but then her lips crack into a small smile. "Okay, well, as I said, it hurts. But what hurts me most of all is that...if there was a way to free them...I don't think I would. I won't risk my daughter's life. Or my husband's. They attacked the Arendellian soldiers for no reason. They killed the King, Agnarr's father. What would stop them from attacking Agnarr if they were to get free? Or me? They attacked innocent soldiers for no reason, so I don't think me being Northuldra would even matter to them. They'd see a traitor. And what about Elsa? Would they see an innocent child or an heir that could grow up and pose as a threat to them? And what about the innocent people of Arendelle? _My _people now that I am their Queen. I will not run away again. I will not abandon my new people like I did with my former one. Though the circumstances are different, since I left the Northuldra because of what _they _did. I will not abandon my new people, even if it comes to facing my original people, who I still love despite what they have done. I will do what I can to protect Arendelle, and it most certainly will not be by running away. I do not want to make that same mistake again. I could never forgive myself.

Do you think it wrong of me? The Northuldra were my people before Arendelle. I feel as though I betrayed them, and I can't help but feel that they betrayed me first by breaking _our _sacred oath of peace. It pains me to say this, but that knowledge sometimes comforts me in my decision to side with Arendelle, the side that did no wrong. And yet I still struggle with the idea of helping Agnarr arrange a war against the Northuldra. Despite what they've done, I still have love for them. All I wish is for peace, but...if they become free and wish for a war to happen...I'd have no hesitation in siding with Arendelle. For my child and husband, who I love more than my own life. Who I love more than the Northuldra. They are my first priority, especially my daughter, but that does not stop my guilt from eating me alive. Oh Tara, despite knowing which side I'd choose, I am still so utterly lost and confused. I wish I knew what happened that day that caused my people to attack. If I knew, maybe I could find a way to fix everything."

When she finally stops, only one word managed to come out of my mouth. "Daaammmnnn." That is some heavy stuff she has to carry. And just when I thought Tara was going to tell her the truth, that it was King Runeard who attacked first, not the Northuldra, she instead says:

"Oh Iduna, I am terribly sorry that you have been plagued with such worry. I wish I could stop your thoughts from troubling and confusing you, but I want you to know that you are no traitor. You did what was right by saving Agnarr and staying with him until he was brought home. You may see coming to Arendelle with him as running away, but you did what any scared child would, and I don't think anyone with a sane brain would blame you, not even your people. You tried to survive and you did. You saved the future of this kingdom and now you are its Queen. If the Northuldra come back during your reign, I guarantee that you will bring peace. For you are the bridge that connects the Northuldra with Arendelle. Agnarr's love for you is genuine and true and pure. He and your child are your rewards for your selfless act. Love is a very powerful force. Never forget that. Never regret it. Love is what will bring your two people together should the Northuldra ever be free of the magic that binds them. Until then, you are safe from any threats of war. The Enchanted Forest has been shielded for 10 years, and I doubt that that will end anytime soon."

And it literally blew my mind that she didn't spill the beans about what really happened. "Tara," I say to her, "you know that it wasn't the Northuldra's fault. It was King Runeard's fault. Iduna's father-in-law! He killed her former leader. Why didn't you tell her? She needs to know that her people are not vicious monsters, that it was her father-in-law that was the real monster, and that if there's anyone she should be worried about, it's her own husband. Magic was involved with the death of Agnarr's dad. If the Northuldra were to become free, how do we know that Agnarr won't be the one to attack _them _first? Just like his father before him. Tara, you got to tell her the truth!"

But the only response she gives me is the clench of her jaw. She wants to say something, I can tell, but she's trying not to respond since Iduna is present. "Thank you," Iduna says, "I feel much better hearing that from you. Do you, by any chance, know how they are doing? Do you know who all survived?"

And thankfully, Queen Tara tells the truth about this. "Yelena has taken over as leader of the Northuldra. And..." And she goes on, telling Iduna every person from memory that is still alive and she tells about the new children who were born and what they're all doing out there in the forest and how from time to time they have fights with the Arendellian soldiers who got trapped inside with them, all of who Iduna has never met, unless you consider their portraits around the castle a proper introduction.

"They may be trapped," says Tara, coming to the end, "but they're thriving."

Iduna's eyes glisten with tears. "That's good to hear." She looked like she was going to say more, but she suddenly goes into a coughing fit, one that I totally saw coming, and one that was so bad it even made me wince. When she was done, she looked at Mother Nature sheepishly. "Forgive me, I-"

"There is nothing to forgive, darling. You are sick," Tara interrupts, and at first, Iduna smiles at this, but then she frowns.

"Tara," she says, cautiously as she fingers the fabric of her purplish scarf, "there is more that haunts my mind. If I recall correctly, you once called yourself the Guardian of Life...is it possible if you can tell if someone is dying? Or can only La Muerte, the Guardian of Death, do that?"

This takes both Queen Tara and I off guard. Jesus, what kind of a question is that?

"What brings this up?" Asked Tara, worriedly.

Iduna sets her hands on top of her round belly and looks at them as she speaks. "I fear...I fear that this sickness is one of death. The Doctor doesn't know what it is. It is not like a regular cold. I fear...I fear that I am dying, o-or that my child is dying, or both! Oh Tara, I'm afraid. So terribly afraid."

And when her eyes fill with tears again...so do mine. Good god, this is heartbreaking.

"And if I am to die," Iduna continues before Tara or I could even think of words to say, "then my dying wish is to see a dragon." She laughs at little at herself. "I know it's silly, but we all have our quirks. One of Arendelle's former allies, Berk, is swarming with dragons. It's why the kingdom is no longer allies with them."

Her quick change of the topic reminded me of a child, but I knew it was so she could get her mind off of her current life or death situation. My eyes left Iduna's and landed on Tara, whose expression I couldn't read quite right. "If it is a dragon you wish to see," Tara says as she gets to her feet and takes out an object from a secret pocket in her white pedal dress. "Then your wish is my command."

The object turned out to be one of North's teleportation snow-globes.

"Wait, what-" Iduna starts, but she trails off to watch Queen Tara whisper something to the snow-globe, the location I'm sure, and throws it against the nearest wall, opening up a bright, swirling portal.

Iduna's eyes are wide with wonder, something North would have adored. "Oh my God, is this...is this for real? Are you serious?"

Tara giggles and extends her hand for Arendelle's Queen to take. "I would never lie."

"No," I mutter under my breath. "You'll just hold back the truth."

I said the last part loud enough for her to hear, but she does nothing about it, which I expected, and waits for Iduna to take her hand. The pregnant Queen, once realizing that this is indeed for real, takes Mother Nature's hand in excitement, and is quick to her feet despite her sickness. And for the first time in forever, I was so not up for the adventure.

"Tara," I say, my voice uncharacteristically stern and serious, "are you sure this is a good idea? She's obviously very sick and weak-"

"Are you ready?" She asks Iduna, who nods, ignoring me once again. I'm starting to get really, _really_ pissed to be honest.

"Tara, wait-" but she stepped forward, her arm linked with Iduna's, and together they stepped through the portal, with me quickly following after them, muttering curse words everywhere.

My inappropriate muttering came to a complete stop, however, when I make it to the other side, to a place I've never been before.

Towering above the land was a roof, dome actually, made out of ice. But despite the icy sky, the temperature is actually pretty warm and the plant life is thriving. Green lichen clings to basaltic rocks and ferns have made a home for themselves in the relatively flat plateaus, steps, and cliff. There are waterfalls, hot springs, and most importantly, what really caught my interest...

Were the dragons.

Hundreds, probably thousands of them, flew everywhere, and there were so many species. There were a lot of species that I knew already, but there were many more whose names I did not have the knowledge of.

The only reason why I even know what I know about dragons is because I spend a lot of time on Berk, a Viking island way up North who have a bad "pesk" problems. Those pesks being dragons. I'm on the island a lot because 1) it snows 9 months out of the year. It's one of the many places I consider to be my kingdom. 2) like I mentioned earlier they have legends about me. I am the infamous Jokul Frosti, and while I still have no believers, it's still a really cool nickname. And 3) The dragons can see me, like all animals can, and they're so adorable. It's really sad how the Vikings slaughter them every chance they get.

They'd kill to be wherever the hell it is that I'm at now. Because this place sure as hell isn't Berk.

"Oh my Spirits," Iduna said, her voice in a whisper that I was able to hear loud and clear because my senses are on high alert. I mean come on, there is a sick, pregnant Queen who is probably dying in a land full of dragons! Yeah, they're adorable and misunderstood, but they're still dangerous. Tara better not dare leave her side. The dragons will listen to her. "This...this land is so beautiful. Is this Berk?"

Tara shakes her head and starts leading the Queen in a random direction. "No, but it's close to Berk. This place, as you can see, is home to many dragon species. They're all protected by the King of Dragons, known as the Bewilderbeast."

"The Bewilderbeast?" Iduna repeats, catching my attention, and when I look her I felt sick to my stomach. She looks way worse in the sunlight than she did in her candle-lit room. "What does he look like?"

Tara giggles at her friend's excitement, and I managed to smile a little despite my worry. "You'll soon see. I should warn you though that he's massive. And," she looks over at me for the first time, finally acknowledging my presence, "he's an ice dragon."

I stop in my tracks, shocked at her words. "A...A what?! Tara! There have been ice dragons this whole time and you're just now mentioning it!" I rushed back to her side, flying now instead of walking.

"There are only two types of ice dragons," Tara says, talking to both Iduna and I. "There's the Bewilderbeast and then there's the Snow Wraith."

"Amazing," Iduna breathes, "Dragons are known for their fire, but for the King of Dragons to be one of ice? What a twist!"

What a twist indeed.

A few minutes later, our traveling stops at the edge of a cliff. I was about to fly overhead to see if the dragon she spoke of was below, but Tara suddenly whistles and the wall of what I thought was rock in front of us moves! It freaking moves! I gasp when the wall grows taller and turns, and I'm pretty sure Queen Iduna gasped too, and when all the movement was done, a large set of eyes stared down at us.

I knew that this massive creature was the Bewilderbeast just by looking at its size.

It. Is. Huge!

It's a spiky dragon, with a pair of tusk-like horns protruding from the sides of its head. The front side of its body is covered with burr-like spikes, along with two lines of spikes along the eyelids, giving an impression of eyebrows, and protrusions from the back of its head forms a mane-like frill. Interestingly, no nostrils are visible on its face, and even more interesting is that its wings look more like fins.

Can it not fly?

Tara bows at the beast, and Iduna follows suit, bowing as much as she can with that belly of hers, and not one to be disrespectful (towards dragons at least), I bowed too. "Tara," I say as I bowed, "I don't know how your surprise is going to top this. This is incredible."

Tara grins before she rises, Iduna and I doing the same, and she says to the King: "Greetings your majesty. I hope all is well."

And I was not at all expecting to him talk back.

_All is well indeed, my Queen._

His voice is deep, but soft, and I heard it in my head rather than...well...the opposite! Outside, through the ears kind of thing.

"Uh...Tara," I say, freaking out. "Why am I hearing the dragon's voice in my head? Can Iduna hear it too? I know you can, but how-"

"I have brought with me," she says, interrupting me, "the Queen of Arendelle, Queen Iduna. She wished to meet a dragon, so of course I found it logical to introduce her to you, the Dragon King."

Iduna awkwardly waves. "H-Hello, your majesty." She says, smiling up at the creature that's probably making her heart race. I know mine is racing for sure.

_Hello, my dear. Welcome to my home._

"He says hello and welcome to his home," Tara says, making me realize that Iduna can't hear him.

So how come I can?

Iduna's smile is so large that it makes my own cheeks hurt and she says, "May I touch him or is that crossing the line?"

Mother Nature laughs at the Queen. "Not at all. Your majesty," she says to the King, and explains that Iduna would like to feel his scales.

He obliges, and a moment later, Iduna is touching his forehead with her hand, once again in tears. "Oh my, this...this is more than I could ever dream of experiencing. He's so beautiful."

But then she starts coughing again.

Iduna is quick to move away from the dragon as her coughing fit nearly kills her, and Tara is even quicker to reach her side and pat her back. "I think it's time we get you back to bed."

Finally! This is no place for her. She can come back when she's feeling better, maybe even with her own daughter. Right now though she's too weak and sick and honestly I think Tara is being completely irresponsible, and this is coming from someone who is way more irresponsible than her on the daily.

Queen Iduna nods in agreement. "Yes, you're right. Let us go." But instead of taking off in the direction we came, Iduna turns back to touch the King of Dragons one more time. She even went so far as to place her forehead against his. Forehead touches are heavily affectionate and it made me realize that this is probably Iduna's first time being around a creature of magic in 10 years. "Goodbye, your majesty. It was an honor meeting you. I hope we'll see each other again. Maybe next time I'll bring my daughter, and hopefully our visit will be for much longer."

_I look forward to our next encounter, Queen Iduna._

And even though I knew she couldn't hear him, she still smiles wide, as though she had, and links her arm back with Tara's. "Okay, I'm ready."

Tara digs into her dress pocket and reveals another snow-globe. "I'm afraid, my friend, that you'll have to return alone. I am needed elsewhere." She holds out the snow-globe for Iduna to take, and take it she does.

"I...what do I-"

Giggling, Tara says, "Tell your desired location, give it a shake, and then throw it. Be very specific on where you want to go." She steps away from Iduna to give her some space.

Iduna is obviously nervous, but she doesn't back down. "Um...The King and Queen's sleeping chambers in the Arendelle castle." She shakes it and throws it, as instructed, and opened the portal back to home.

Her smile is wide, proud of herself, and Tara and I both wore the same expression. It's weird how even as an adult I can still see the child in her. Maybe it's because I've seen her as a child before. It's like parents with their children. Their children could be 50 years old, and still be seen as a child to them.

"Thank you for granting my wish," Queen Iduna says to Queen Tara. "Will I see you tomorrow? Or some time soon? I don't think I can bear not seeing you for another decade. I don't want this being a mere dream."

Tara's smile is tight, and I knew that that meant no.

Iduna won't be seeing her again, but Tara will of course be seeing her in her invisible form. Hell, Iduna wasn't supposed to see her now.

"We shall see, child," says Tara, "Now go before your husband finds you missing."

Iduna nods and turns to walk into the portal, only she stops a second later and looks back, "He doesn't know by the way. Agnarr. He doesn't know that I saved him all those years ago. I've been wanting to tell him for years, but he hates the Northuldra for attacking and killing his father. I'm afraid on how he'll react. What do I do?"

Tara walks over to Iduna and holds her hands. "You do what your heart tells you to do. Do what feels right. One must always do the next right thing. Agnarr loves you very much. I know this to be true. Worry not." And then she's pulling the young Queen into a hug that honestly warmed my heart to see.

After a few seconds, they release each other, say goodbye, and through the portal Iduna goes. The portal closes, and when it does, Queen Tara drops to her knees and cries, completely taking me off guard.

I rush to her side, confused and worried, and say, the moment I bend down to her level, "Hey, Tara, what's wrong? Why are you crying? What happened? Oh geez I hate when people cry, especially women. Is there something I can do?"

Tara shakes her head and wipes away her tears, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to break down like that, but...she...she really is dying. When I touched her belly...I immediately knew, like she had thought I would. I sensed the upcoming death and...and there's nothing I can do about it. I can bring plants back to life, but not an actual living soul. Once a soul is dying, there is nothing I, or La Muerte can do. We cannot stop death or give life. And even if we could, it would go against the natural law. A price would be paid. Probably another life in replace of the life restored."

Unsure of what to say, I awkwardly rub her back, and manage to form the following words: "Uh...everything is going to be okay. I know that's super cliche, but...we got to have hope, right? Bunny would say the same thing, being the Guardian of Hope and all. We'll find a way to save Iduna."

_Perhaps I can help,_ says the deep voice of the Bewilderbeast, gaining our attention.

"Oh yeah, about that," I point to the dragon that we were both looking at now. "First of all, I can't believe you didn't tell me that ice dragons are a thing. Second, how come I'm able to hear him? I can understand him, Tara! A dragon! I'm a little freaked out."

Tara softly laughs as she wipes away the rest of her tears and moves to get up. Ever the gentleman, I grip her arm and help get her to her feet. "Thank you, Jack," she says, then turns to face the beast. "You say you can help, dear friend?" She says to the ice dragon, who in return nods.

_I could sense her sickness in her scent. A deadly illness she does have, but her child is not effected. She will survive the birth, but Iduna will not. The birth will kill her, not the sickness._

"What?!" Tara and I say in unison, eyes wide, mine probably wider.

_The sickness is making her weak and it is indeed killing her, but it will not be her cause of death. Her weakened state will cause her birth to be very hard, and afterwards, when the baby is born...well...she won't be around for long._

"So what do we do?" I ask the dragon, still freaked out that I'm able to hear him. "You said you can help, so what can you possibly do to save our friend?"

_I can give her my blood._

I nearly choked on air at his words. "Say what now?"

_Dragon blood has healing abilities. It will heal her and give her the strength to survive. Give the Queen a vile of my blood and, if her body is not too deeply consumed with the sickness, if she is strong enough beforehand, then it should heal her._

I look over at Tara, whose eyes are glazed over in deep thought, and ask: "Tara, are you seriously thinking about using this method? Are you sure it's safe? Has it even been done before?"

"I know not if it's been done before," Tara answers, "but he is right. Dragon blood does have healing abilities, and since he's the King of all Dragons, then his blood is basically the best medicine in the world."

"But-" I try to argue, but she interrupts.

"We have to try, Jack!" She raised her voice, taking me off guard. "I may not be able to help her, but he can, and I am not going to ignore this opportunity." And then she's marching toward the Bewilderbeast. She picked up a sharp rock during her march toward him and when she makes it to the edge of the cliff, she uses her powers to make a staircase made of grass, moss, and lichen, leading her all the way up until she was standing on top of the dragon's head.

Not wanting to be left out, I flew up towards her, and catch her sentence.

"This will hurt only a little bit, my friend."

_It's nothing I won't be able to handle_, says the King and that's when I finally ask again: "Yeah, so how is it that I'm able to hear him again?"

Not taking her eyes away from the area of deep skin she was going to cut, she says, "You're a being of ice. So is he. Magic calls and answers to magic, especially if they are similar. You'd be able to understand the Snow Wraiths too."

No freaking way! That's amazing!

"What about the Winter Fairies from Pixie Hollow?" I ask as I'm filled with amazement at the Bewilderbeast. "I can communicate with them, but I don't hear their voice in my mind."

"That's because they have a humanoid form," Tara says then finally pierces into the dragon's skin, making me nearly vomit.

"Geez, Tara," I groan s I looked away, "a little warning would have been nice."

She grins as she deepened the sharp edge of the rock into the King's skin, making me wince. "It's just a little blood, Jack," she says, giggling. "Now stop being so squeamish and make me a very cold, unmeltable ice vile to put the blood in."

I do as she says and hand it to her, wanting nothing more than to get this done as soon as possible, and when I saw the blood, I was honestly shocked to see that it was a silver instead of red. "Okay," I say, no longer disgusted, "that's actually pretty cool."

Once the vile is filled, we say goodbye to the ice dragon, and leave, with the help of another snow-globe.

"Another one?!" I exclaim when I saw her pull it out. "How many of those do you have in your pockets? You can't even see them bulging out."

Tara laughs and it made me feel good seeing her this way rather than her sad self from before. I don't like it when people are sad, especially when those people are usually the most playful and happiest people on the planet. It's just...weird seeing them be the opposite.

"I shall never tell you my secrets," she says and together we walk through the portal back to Arendelle. However, instead of being inside the castle, more specifically Iduna's room, we're in town, near the docks.

"Okay," Tara says as she puts the vile in her pocket. "I'll wait until morning so I can pour the blood into her morning tea. You, on the other hand, can either return to the Pole and get some sleep or you can do the surprise I mentioned."

"Hold up," I stick my hand up for extra measure, "my surprise is something I have to do?!"

Tara giggles again and nod. "That's right. Your surprise is to give Arendelle one hell of a snowy morning for them to wake up to. I know you've been wanting to for awhile. The Winter Solstice is next week and I have a blizzard schedule for you to give them too. Best start practicing now."

"Okay, for one," I hold up one index finger, "that is a horrible surprise. A surprise is not supposed to be a job. Two," there goes the second finger, "I gladly thank you for it, even though it's horrible, because honestly this place sucks without any snow. So how much we talking here? Five feet? Ten?"

"Make it two," she clarifies as she begins walking down the street, "no more no less. Save the deep snow for the blizzard next week."

And oh how I couldn't wait.


	3. Chapter 3

**~One Week Later~**

**Jack's POV**

Remember when I said I couldn't wait until it was this week because I was so excited to give Arendelle a blizzard? Yeah, well, I take it all back. I signed up for a blizzard, not a birth. You see, I'm in Arendelle right now, and I was in the middle of doing my job, around 2:40ish a.m, and just as I was thinking about making it snow some more, to give the Arendelle about five more inches, a woman's scream scares the hell out of me.

I stopped everything I was doing and instantly flew to her aide, following her screams that I'm surprised reached my ears through the howling wind. It wasn't until the screams led me to the castle that I made the realization that the woman in need is Queen Iduna. No woman screaming at the top of her lungs would be screaming like that, like she's dying, unless it was birth.

That's when it fully hit me.

Queen Iduna is giving birth!

Right now!

At seven months!

That's two months early. Her child will be born premature. Premature babies so rarely live, especially during the cold season. And while Iduna did indeed get better within a mere few hours after consuming the Bewilderbeast's blood, I couldn't help but blame the Dragon King for this. This has got to be his fault! Why else would she go into labor so soon? He said that her baby was fine, that Elsa would survive the birth whereas Iduna would not, so his blood must be the reason why Elsa's development was cut short.

Were his senses incorrect? Was Elsa really not fine this entire time and he just didn't pick up on that? Or did he know and lie about it? Why do that though? What could he possibly gain from doing that? And even if that's not the case, which I believe to be true, did he at least have an idea that something of the sort would occur? Because if so, then he should have said something for sure!

Did saving Iduna's life cost us the life of her child?

Queen Tara mentioned that if there was a way for her to save Iduna's life, it would probably cost the life of another. To save one life, another must be taken. Is that life her child? Of her poor little daughter Elsa?! And yes, while Tara didn't use her magic to save Iduna's life (she doesn't have the ability to anyway) she still did technically save Iduna. She drew the dragon's blood, she poured it in the Queen's tea, the Queen drank it, she was healed, and now...

Now Elsa is going to die because of it.

Because of Mother Nature.

Which is kind of ironic.

Tara already feels guilty for what happened to Iduna's Northuldra people. She does not deserve anymore guilt. And instead of this being the price she must pay for participating in saving Iduna's life, is this instead the price she must pay for revealing herself to the Arendellian Queen? She stayed an extra three days to make sure the dragon blood worked without side effects, and during her stay she was invisible to Iduna the entire time even though she didn't have to be.

I mean, it's one thing staying invisible if Iduna had briefly caught sight of her, but she and Tara actually conversed and and even traveled to visit a dragon! Why bother staying glamoured when Iduna knows her to be real? More so than she ever did when she was a child. Maybe she was paranoid that something bad would happen if she didn't. After all, the ancient rules are not to reveal yourself unless you absolutely need to. If that's the case then, like I said earlier about the Bewilderbeast, I wish she would have said something on the matter. If she was having some bad feelings about the dragon blood then she should have told me about it.

She probably didn't want to face all of my "I told you so"s. I knew giving the Queen the Ice Dragon's blood was a bad idea and now here we are.

Communication is everything.

And yet, I never did have the chance to ask her why she just, out of the freaking blue, decided to unglamour herself. I think the answer is pretty obvious though. She was worried, and not just worried, but _overwhelmingly_ worried. To the point where she thought it was best to break a rule. She knew that death was in Iduna's future when she touched her pregnant belly, but she must have known immediately at just the mere sight of the former Northuldra girl.

I know I did.

But of course, I'm getting ahead of myself. Just because Elsa is being born two months early doesn't mean she's going to die. After all, it's not uncommon for premature babies to survive. Rare, but not uncommon. And I had to remind myself of that over and over again as I flew inside Arendelle's castle and rushed to the royal quarters.

Which is where I'm at now, standing in the doorway to hers and Agnarr's sleeping chamber, mouth and eyes wide open in utter shock. Iduna lay in her bed, sweaty and crying, while her husband was kneeling on the floor beside her, holding on to her hand that I knew she was squeezing tightly. I could tell her grip is painful because the King looks like he's in just as much pain as she is.

But this does not stop Agnarr from leaning forward to whisper something soothing to his wife, nor does it stop him from kissing her forehead. What else do I expect from soulmates? When they first started courting, Tara did not want them to waste any time together if their souls were not meant to be for one another, so she had fetched Lucille, aka Cupid, aka the Guardian of Love, to see if they were in fact born for each other. The results came back positive, which I find really romantic considering that she saved him when they were children.

And that, Elsa, is how he met your mother.

Even though he doesn't know it. At least that's what Iduna had said last week before she left Tara and I with the Bewilderbeast.

And yes, while their intimate moment was indeed so sweet that it gave me a mouthful of cavities, I was also hit with another familiar feeling. One I know too well.

I personally call it yearning or longing or whatever the hell it's supposed to be called when you want something that others have, but Bunny calls it jealousy.

It's a feeling I feel almost all the time, but it's always been felt towards my fellow Guardians having believers whereas I don't. I've never felt it toward...a couple in the middle of birth. How strange. I wonder why-

My face heats up by 100,000,000,000 degrees when the Midwife suddenly makes her way to Iduna and spreads her legs wide open without warning, burying her face between the Queen's legs without an invitation as well. Agnarr was taken aback just as I was and turns his head the other way to avert his gaze.

And with the same idea in mind, I did the same.

Except it was my whole body I had turned, and I said, "Okay, I'm out." I walk into the hall and stop dead in my tracks when I saw a familiar face at the end of the corridor. "La Muerte?"

She was looking down at her feet as she slowly walked, and upon hearing her name she looks up in surprise. "Jack?" She says, confused. "You're supposed to be outside working. What are you doing in here?" She had picked up speed in her walking while I remained where I stood near the bedroom doors.

Arendelle's Queen gives out an ear piercing scream and I wince at the sound. "That's why," I say as I gesture to Iduna in her room. "I thought it was a random woman in need at first, but then once I realized that the screams were coming from the castle, it instantly clicked that the woman in need is Iduna."

La Muerte frowns and sadly looks away. "You should leave, Jack. A woman giving birth is not a sight an immortal 18 year old boy should witness."

I chuckle and nod in agreement, deciding to ignore her weird behavior. "Yeah, you're definitely right. See you whenever." I walk past her, hoping to get the image of the Midwife between Iduna's legs out of my mind, but then I stop, a question suddenly popping up.

"Hey, wait," I swiftly turn back around, "why are _you_ here?"

For a moment, La Muerte doesn't answer. She stares at me with sad eyes until finally she sighs and says, "Jack...you know what I do when it's not the Allhallowtide. Or Hallowmas, as you call it. I guide the souls of those who pass to their desired or destined afterlife."

My eyes went wide at her answer and I felt stupid for not realizing it before. "Oh," was all I was able to say and then when it really settled in, I felt sick to my stomach. Because her being here is proof of what I feared.

Elsa is going to die.

"_Oh_," I repeat and everything, and I mean _everything_, felt too tight. "La Muerte, no. You can't. Please," I beg, the desperation in my voice surprising me. "There's got to be something you can do to not...do what you usually do. Don't..." I was getting emotional, I could tell by the watering of my eyes and the shift in my vocal tone. God damn it.

"Don't," I try again, firmer now as I fought back foolish tears, "take Elsa. She's just a baby. A _baby_, La Muerte!"

"You don't think I know that?!" La Muerte snaps, making me jump and become a little fearful when I saw the flames in her eyes burn. "I have no choice. It's not like I'm killing her. I'm just the guide that sends souls to where they're supposed to go. It's my job, Jack. A job I've done every single day for a countless amount of years. She's not the first baby I've delivered and she won't be last. And to this day, it still breaks my heart. I...I..." but there was nothing else for her to say for she already said what was needed.

And then she's crying and I feel like crying too, but the male in me wants to be strong for her. However her crying is making me feel awkward, just like with Queen Tara's crying fit last week. So instead of comforting her, I say, "We got to get Tara. Maybe she-"

"She can't do anything, just as I can't," La Muerte says as she wipes away her tears and keeps her eyes locked on the floor. "I don't want to risk it anyway. Tara told the others and I about the dragon blood. What if by giving Iduna the dragon's blood to heal her, this is what is causing Elsa to be born early and die? If we do anything to save Elsa, if we mess around with the natural order again, we could end up losing both hers and her mother's life."

"But we can't just do nothing either!" I argue, griping my staff harder in anger. "There's always a way. We just got to find it. We got to find a way. Elsa is a child and we're Guardians. Our main job is to protect the children of the world. If we don't do anything then we fail as Guardians. We got to find Tara-"

"I already sent a messenger bat to her," La Muerte interrupts as she leans against the wall and sighs. "She'll be here soon."

I stand beside her, leaning against the wall too, and look up at the ceiling. I've always accompanied La Muerte during Halloween, All Souls Day, and All Saints Day, but I've never witnessed her guide a soul to the afterlife. I don't plan on it either. She told me once how she was actually there the day I died, ready to take me to Heaven when suddenly Manny stopped her and told her of the person who I was meant to be. The person who I've always been, but cooler. Had it not been for Manny, she would have taken me, like she's supposed too. And while she's supposed to take Elsa, I'm going to make sure she doesn't take Elsa anywhere. Elsa is going to stay here on Earth and she's going to live with her parents and make them happy and grow up and become Queen and do Queen stuff. She's going to live.

I promise this. I swear it.

With my life.

A bright portal suddenly opens up from the end of the hall, and out steps Mother Nature in a rush. When she sees us she's quick to say, "What's happening? Am I too late? What-" but she's cut off but Iduna screaming and then she's running inside the room. La Muerte and I are quick to follow her and when I'm inside I see Tara sitting on the bed, on the other side of Iduna, holding on to the Queen's wrist since her hand is too busy gripping the sheets.

"I'm here, Iduna," she says, comfortingly while La Meurte and I stood next to her, "Open your eyes and look. I'm here."

Iduna opens her eyes, tears spilling out of them, and looks to her right, making eye contact with the lovely Mother Nature. "T-Tara," she whispers in relief, and the confusion on Agnarr's face tells me that only Iduna can see her.

"Iduna, who-" but he's cut off by the Midwife.

"I see the head!" She shouts, then looks over her shoulder at the maids. "I need some more towels and warm water. The baby will be here any minute now." Her attention goes back to Iduna. "I need you to focus on your breathing and prepare to push. Can you do that for me, your Majesty?"

"I...I can't! I-" and then she's screaming again as more pain strikes her.

"You can and you will," Tara says as she wipes some sweat away from Iduna's forehead. "You can do this, my child. Focus on your breathing. Do what I do," and then she's displaying some breathing exercises that would have been funny had the situation been something totally different.

Iduna does as she says, grunting and screaming and crying as the minutes go on, which I don't even know how much time had passed, until finally the Midwife says, "One more push, Iduna and then he'll be here. Just give me one more push!"

"It's...it's a she," she corrects the Midwife and I smirk. It's not exactly the time to be correcting people, but I love how she does so anyway.

Agnarr gives his wife a weird look, probably wondering why she would say that when he and everyone else thinks Elsa to be a boy. The Midwife, however, says nothing in response, too focused on the baby's head that's probably sticking out quite a bit. Ain't no way I'm checking to confirm. Uh uh. Nope. Not happening. Gross.

"Okay," she says, preparing her arms, "It's time. One big push, Iduna. Just one. You can do this."

Tara nods and gives her own words of encouragement. "Come on, Iduna. Let's introduce the world to Elsa."

Iduna nods through her pain, ready to bring her daughter into the world, with no acknowledgement that her daughter is going to die not long after. And when her body tenses up, pushing out the tiny body from her inside, my body tenses too, preparing for the worst. Iduna grunts some more then releases one last terrifying scream that does not compare to the intensity of her other ones.

The Midwife laughs as she looks down at whatever is in her hands and sighs in relief. "There you are, you little-" but she stops, a worried look replacing her relieved one.

"What is it?" Agnarr asks, worried as well.

Hell, we are _all _worried.

The Midwife looks up at the King with tears in her eyes and says, "She's not crying. She's not even moving. She's breathing, but barely. She's hardly alive, your majesties. I...I don't think...I'm sorry, but I don't think she's going to make it."

"What?!" Agnarr hisses, while Iduna sobs.

"No," she says, her voice hoarse, but that doesn't stop her from getting louder. "No! Give me my baby! Give her to me! Please! I want my baby!" She was acting like a mad woman, and why wouldn't she? She just got told that her newborn child is dying. I'd act the same way.

The Midwife doesn't even bother having the maids clean Elsa's body. She carefully gets to her feet and carries the naked and bloody baby to her mother, and when I caught sight of her, I, the Bringer of Winter, freeze.

Because for the first time in forever, I am looking at a child, a baby, with a head full of snow white hair. It's stained bloody red of course, but there's no mistaking that once the blood is washed off it's a pure snow white. How in the hell is that possible?

I was going to voice my thoughts, but the words get stuck in my throat when Elsa is placed in Iduna's arms, soundless and motionless, her breathing coming out abnormally, too slow, her pauses in between breathes too long.

Iduna's a crying mess, both at finally being able to hold her daughter and also because it'll also be her last time, and Agnarr is crying too, though not as much, trying to stay strong for his wife like I was for La Muerte a moment before. "Oh, Iduna," he says, his voice cracking in emotion, "she's beautiful. How did you know our child would be a girl? We were told she would be a boy."

Without looking away from their daughter, Iduna says though her tears, "A mother's intuition," she says, referring to Queen Tara, _Mother_ Nature.

Tara's lips curl into a small sad smile, but it turns into an even sadder frown when La Muerte says, "She has 30 minutes left."

Iduna didn't hear her since La Muerte didn't unglamour herself, most likely because seeing Holy Death would send Iduna into an even worse panic, and instead of repeating La Muerte's words to the new mother, Tara remains silent and watches the new parents.

"My darling," Iduna cries, her tears a never ending waterfall down her cheeks, "please. Please, stay with us. You just got here, don't leave." And then she starts to sing. "_Come my darling, homeward bound. You are found_." But then she's sobbing again and she pulls her daughter closer to her chest as she rocks back and forth. She kisses Elsa's forehead and that's when Agnarr wraps his arms around them and buries his face in the crook of Iduna's neck, softly crying, drowning under the heartbreaking sobs of his wife.

It...it was all too much for me.

Realizing that the Midwife and the maids were gone to give the royals their privacy, I decided to do the same, more so for my benefit then out of respect to them. I'm about to lose it and I don't know if it's my tears or powers that want to burst more. I want to hit something, to send something exploding in ice, and knowing that I can't since there are sleeping people around makes my anger so much worse. So much more intense.

It burns.

I storm out of the room and fly to the nearest window, opening it up and getting the hell out of there, ignoring the calls of Tara and Muerte. When I'm in the air, flying through the blizzard's wind, going in a random direction that I hoped would take me far away, I look up at the moon, at Manny, and was overcome with so much hatred toward him.

"For a caring deity," I shout at him, knowing he'd hear me, as well as the Christian God, "you two sure are pretty cruel. She's a baby!" I land on a random rooftop and point my staff up at the moon. "You brought me back to life damn it! Tara and Muerte may not be able to do it, but you can! Save her fucking life! You can ignore me all you want, I don't care. You've ignored me ever since I was reborn, but if you don't save Elsa's life then I will never forgive you. _Never! _I'll...I'll...I'll go on a freezing spree. I'll create a new ice age if you don't save her."

I'm totally bluffing, and he totally knows it, but I'm desperate.

So totally desperate.

And I don't know why.

Babies and children die all the time. I've witnessed it before. I hated it then, just as much as I hate it now, which is probably why I'm so determined to save her, but I feel as though there's more to it.

"Please," I beg, my tears finally falling, "I'll give her half of my soul. Half of my life. I'll...I'll...I'll give her all of it! Take my life, not hers! I've lived well over 100 years. Let her live at least 100 days! Please, I'll-"

And then I hear it.

His voice.

The Man in the Moon's voice.

Manny's voice!

**_Go to her and I'll tell you what to do._**

And at first I thought I was hearing things. My body is frozen in shock, but my tears are still falling, only this time they're falling because of hope. And when he says _**Hurry, Jack. Time is running out**_, I'm flying back without question, my hope growing with every second.

When I'm back in the room, Elsa is no longer in her mother's arms. She lies in her cradle, where the Midwife is cleaning her and is bundling her up, and still the baby shown no sign of life. Iduna on the other hand still remained in her bed, clinging on to her husband as she screamed out her pain. Pain that I knew was worse than her birth.

Because the pain that comes when a child leaves this world will never compare to the pain that comes when a child enters it. It's so much worse.

Tara and La Muerte were in the corner of the room, both of them crying too, but Tara...I've never seen my adopted Mother so broken.

They didn't know I was there, and not wanting to waste anymore time, I decided to not let my presence be known. I walk over to the cradle, the Midwife now gone to try to calm down the devastated parents, and when I see the now clean baby, my eyes land on her very white hair.

"You must have gotten that from the Bewilderbeast," I whisper to her, hoping she'd hear and make some kind of response.

She doesn't.

And it only makes my heart beat faster.

"Is your hair color all he gave you?" I continue, talking more to calm myself. "Or are you gifted with more? What other side effects do you have from the dragon blood, huh? I wish we had taken into consideration on what it would do to you. What if you're able to talk to dragons? I suppose you'd have to be able to talk first to find out. And find a dragon to talk with too. Tara can help with that. Wouldn't that be cool?" I then release a genuine gasp. "What if you're able to turn into a dragon? That'd be even cooler."

And still no response.

The only thing to be heard was the crying sobs of everyone in the room, Iduna the loudest of all.

I held back more tears and say to Manny, "Okay, Manny. I'm here. What do I do?"

I'm so used to not receiving an answer, so when he does, I tear up some more.

_**Give her a frozen kiss and the blessing will be sealed.**_

"A frozen kiss?" I repeat, confused. "How will that help?"

_**She already has my blessing, but there needs to be a physical contact to bind the blessing forever. Kiss her forehead and her life shall be saved.**_

"What will happen when I do?" I ask, worried. "The dragon blood made Iduna better and gave her strength to get through this birth, but it did the opposite to Elsa. What side effects do I need to worry about for this?"

_**No, Jack. The only thing the Bewilderbeast's blood did was give Elsa her white hair color and the ability to talk to dragons. Nothing more and nothing less. This is the doing of the Boogeyman. As for any side effects that this blessing will do...I'll let you find that out for yourself.**_

Four things ran through my head. 1) Elsa really is able to talk to dragons! Holy shit! I was not expecting to be right about that. 2) There is a side effect to saving her, but Manny makes it sound...safe and good? 3) Pitch Black, the reason why Iduna's people are trapped, is the same reason why she is losing her daughter. And lastly 4)...

I'm going to kill him.

_**You can kill him another time. Right now, this is a time for saving, **_says Manny, who is obviously very right.

And without a second thought, I do as he says.

I lean forward, my power surging through my veins, and kiss Elsa's tiny forehead, my lips lingering on her little head as my magic left my lips, but...it wasn't just the magic that I feel leave. Something else did too. Something deep within me.

When I lean back, I watch as the frost I had planted on her head spread. It traveled over her face, and most likely to the rest of her body, which I couldn't see since she was bundled up in a light blue blanket (they were prepared for a boy so of course it's blue). And while seeing her covered in frost worried me very much, I could not deny how beautiful the different snowflake patterns in the frost are.

Next thing I know, the frost is glowing, and it caught the wide eyed attention of everyone.

"Jack," La Muerte says from where she stood in the corner from across the room, still holding Tara in her arms. "What did you do?"

And while I had an answer, I didn't have time to speak it, because the glowing frost is suddenly dimming, and when I look closely, I see that the frost is now being absorbed into Elsa's skin, and when it's completely gone, Elsa's first breath after absorbing the frost comes out in a frosty cloud...

And then she's moving.

And then she's crying.

And then I'm crying.

Because oh my God she's okay! She's alive! I did it! I helped save her life!

And then the Midwife is checking to see if everything is okay.

And then she's shouting that it's a miracle and is handing the Princess of Arendelle to her parents, who are now crying in joy at the miracle that was bestowed upon them.

And then my wet eyes are landing on Mother Nature and Holy Death, who are looking at me in shock and confusion and joy all wrapped in one, which is everything I am feeling too.

And then I'm feeling something else.

My head is throbbing, my vision is becoming fuzzy, I feel like I'm going to throw up, and then...

And then...

I pass out.

.

.

.

**A.N: This chapter might have some things added to it later. Until then, tell me what you think! I hope you're enjoying it so far :D Stay tuned!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Jack's POV**

**~Few Hours Later~**

I wake up to the feeling of pain. Pain located in my head which causes me to groan because groaning helps in a weird way. My ears catch the sound of someone gasping, followed by a familiar voice saying: "Jack? Jack can you hear me?"

It took me a moment to register the voice and when I do, I don't hold back a smirk. "Yes, Mother. I can hear you just fine." I open my eyes to look at Queen Tara, who was sitting in a chair next to the fireplace with worried eyes, and wince at the bright sunlight that seeped in from the windows.

Windows that belonged to a room that belongs to the Arendelle royals, who are sleeping soundly in their bed.

What the hell? Why are we in Iduna and Agnarr's room?

"Oh, Jack!" Tara says, snapping me out of my thoughts, and next thing I know, she jumps out of her seat and quickly makes her way to me to hug me tight. "You had me worried sick, my son."

I may not be her biological son, but it always warms my heart when she calls me that. La Muerte calls me that too in Spanish, and even though I view her as an aunt, her endearment warms my heart too. "Sorry," I say as I awkwardly hug her back. I'm not really a huggy person, but I never refuse when someone wants to hug me. Mainly because they're already hugging me before I even have time to protest. Cough cough TOOTHIANA cough cough! "So, uh, what's going on? Why are we in Iduna and Agnarr's room?"

She quickly pulls away from me then, the worry back in her eyes. "Wait, you don't remember?"

"Remember what?" I ask, and just like that, the words opened up my memory vault and all of my previous events come flooding back in a rush. "Wait," I say, eyes wide, and before I even knew what my body was doing, I jump to my feet and exclaim: "Elsa!"

But the rush was too much and I'm hit with a dizzy spell. "Whoa," I say as I stumble and swayed, and Queen Tara is quick to grip my arm and hold me steady.

"Jack, you must be careful. You hit your head really hard when you fainted," she scolds, but it lacked her usual scolding tone. It was coated with concern, which I've never seen her express towards me with such intensity before. Did I really scare her that much?

"I'm okay," I try to assure her as I patted her shoulder in a nonchalant manner, "I promise, M.T." And while her eyes did soften at the abbreviation of her title, not all of her worry was erased. "So what all happened after I passed out? Is everything okay?" And by everything I only meant Elsa, the heir to the Arendellian throne.

Tara sits down on the couch that I was sleeping on, taking me with her since she's still holding on to me, and says, "Everything is perfectly fine...I think."

"What do you mean you think?" I ask, not liking that she's not 100% sure.

"Because I don't even know what it was that you did to determine it," she answers, but instead of being annoyed or snarky, she's left in awe. "But from what it appears, everything really is fine. Elsa and Iduna are both in good health, according to the Midwife. The doctor had arrived an hour after dawn and did a second examination to confirm. He had the same results. Jack," she's staring deeply into my eyes now in such seriousness that screamed You better pay attention to what I'm about to say and answer honestly, "what did you do to Elsa to make her glow? What even was the glow? Whatever you did, it healed her, and then you passed out. You've been unconscious for about six hours. So please, no games. Tell me what happened."

And so I do. I tell her everything, not leaving one speck of detail out, and when I'm done, she's left in anger.

"So this whole time it was Pitch," she growls and gets to her feet to stare into the fireplace, her thoughts most definitely raging. "But why?" She turns back around to face me. "Why would he do that? Did Manny say?"

"No," I answer with the shake of my head and a sigh. "He wouldn't even tell me of the side effect that Elsa would have after being saved. His mysteriousness is very annoying. But I think I may know why Pitch did this. You said once before that he was there when Iduna and Agnarr escaped the Northuldra Forest. That he was there to taunt you about what he did. Geez, Tara, he was probably there from the moment King Runeard discovered the Northuldra people and he most likely suck around after your encounter with him. What if he never left our sides? What if he's been watching us, _you_, this entire fucking time-"

"Watch your mouth."

"Sorry," I run a hand through my hair and lean back against the couch, eyes staring up at the ceiling. "He's sure to have taken notice of the care you have for the royal couple. This was all to get back at you and to gather strength. He feeds off fear after all. Pitch manipulated Agnarr's father's fear, and probably thirsted for that fear again in Agnarr. The fear of a King."

"Of one who thought he was going to lose his daughter and wife," Tara added. "A fear much stronger than King Runeard's fear towards Iduna's people."

I nod, glad she was catching on. "Let's not forget about Iduna's fear too. She thought she was dying before, and then she learns that her daughter isn't going to make it. Her fear plus her husband's must have Pitch surging with power...wherever he may be." My hands curl into fists and I'm glaring hard, my eyes cold. "If you're listening, Pitch," I say, his name like poison on my tongue, "then I want you to know that you're a real piece of shit!"

"Jack, stop," Queen Tara says, "you just woke up. No need to stress yourself into another blackout. Just...try to relax."

"Relax?" I repeat. "How the hell can I relax? He made Iduna sick, but we healed her, so instead he went after Elsa. He failed with her too, and my guess is that he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants. Only now it'll be less for the sake of gaining strength, and more for the sake of winning against us. Tara," this time it's me who is staring deeply into her eyes, hard and serious and not going to take no for an answer, "we need to protect this family, especially Elsa. Twenty-four seven, three sixy-five. I'll gladly accept the responsibility of royal babysitter, but I will not accept no for an answer."

I expected her to try to reason with me, to point out the flaws, but instead she agrees, much to my surprise. "Yes, I agree, but you're not going to do this alone. You still have a job to do, bringing Winter to the world. Don't think that you can get out of doing that because of this mishap." I chuckle at this and she goes on. "I'll get with the others and we'll work on a schedule. Will you be okay staying here by yourself? Are you strong enough to defend yourself in case Pitch shows up?"

I nod, genuinely feeling better. "I don't feel as weird anymore, so I'd say I'm doing pretty good. My head is still a little achy, but it doesn't hurt as bad as before. I'll be fine. I'll be strong. For Elsa."

Tara looks unconvinced, but she doesn't fight it. "Okay," she says, then smiles. "I probably shouldn't say this since I know it'll get to your head, but," she chuckles, "you're a hero now, you know that?"

"I wasn't before?" I tease, which causes her to roll her eyes.

"I'm serious, Jack," she says, her smile faltering a little. "We almost lost her, but you saved her. You saved the heir to Arendelle's throne. She's very much alive because of you. Your frozen kiss, the frost that you had planted on her, that magically lit up and was absorbed into her body, saved her somehow."

"Well, I mean," I say, feeling sheepish at the praise but also enjoying the hell out of it, "Manny had already given her life a blessing to be spared. I just had to activate it."

But Tara shakes her head. "No," she says as she starts to walk past the couch, walking toward Elsa's cradle, which stood right next to the King and Queen's bed. The couple are still both sound asleep, and despite being unconscious for a few hours, I felt sleepy too. Exhausted really. And since I can't hear any noise from Elsa in her cradle, I think she's asleep too.

Asleep. She's quiet because she's asleep, not because she's dying. She's quiet because she's sleeping and is alive! So very much alive, from what Tara had said.

"That may be the case, yes," Tara continued once she reached Elsa's cradle, looking inside with a fond smile. "But I think there's just a tad more to it." She stops talking and reaches her hand inside the cradle, and for a split second, I'm jealous.

Tara is able to touch people because she doesn't need believers, but I do. I need believers to be heard and seen and touched. I bet Elsa's skin is soft. They say babies have the softest skin. I wonder if it's softer than both Tooth's and Lucille's feathers combined. I'll never forget the look of horror on Lucille's face when I had touched her wings without permission.

That was the day when her fist taught me how to ask for consent first and not once have I ever broken that rule again with anybody. I'd rather not get punched in the face again. No one ever told me that it hurts like a motherfucker.

Lucille may be called Cupid and she may be the Guardian of Love, but holy shit is she a violent and snarky person. I mean, don't get me wrong, she really is nice and caring, but she's not afraid to throw hands. She may have angel wings, but she is no angel. That's for sure.

"Is she soft?" I blurt out without meaning to, my mouth having a mind of its own.

If Tara's face was surprised, I didn't see it because of her back being to me, but when she turns there's a smile on her face. "Very soft. Do you want to come feel?"

"I'll go through her," I say, not skipping a beat, and leaving it at that.

Tara snorts and, not gonna lie, it hurt. She knows that this is a touchy subject for me. "If that's the case," she says, removing her hand from Elsa to place on her hip, while her other hand held on to the rim of the cradle, "then how on earth were you able to kiss her forehead?"

I'm silent as her words registered in my brain, which was quick to short circuit because oh my snowflakes she's right! "W-Wait, that...that's not...Manny blessed her," I try to reason, not getting my hopes up. "That's the only reason why I was able to touch her."

"Well," Mother Nature starts, "what makes you think you can't anymore? Maybe your heroic act linked you to her. Maybe she's your first believer. Don't be afraid. Being afraid is what started all of this."

And she had a point. If it wasn't for King Runeard we probably wouldn't be where we are now. So without further ado, I'm on my feet and I'm slowly walking toward her and the cradle, trying to be prepared for what I knew was going to happen.

"I hope you know," I say as I walked to her, "that if this goes the way that I know it will, I am holding you 100% responsible for hurting my feelings." And of course, I'm kidding.

Partially.

When I make it to the cradle, my heart swells at the sight. Elsa was already cleaned up a little since the last time I saw her hours before, but now she's even cleaner than what she was then, most likely partaking in a second cleansing when the doctor had came to visit, and she is now wearing a cute little white dress that matches her hair. I wonder what must have gone through her parents' heads at the sight.

"Did the doctor say anything about her hair?" I ask Tara, never taking my eyes off of the cute little baby that will one day rule this kingdom. The light blue blanket that must have covered her earlier was now at her feet and when Tara answered me, I pull the blanket back over Elsa's tiny body. God, she's so tiny. So fragile. Like all premature babies are.

"Only that it's strange, but is nothing to be worried about," says Tara, whose eyes I felt on me instead of the newly born princess. "You said that the Bewilderbeast's blood is the cause of it, correct?"

"Yeah," I answer, still looking at the sleeping baby. I've seen my fair share of infants, but Elsa is definitely the most adorable baby I've seen in a long time. It's probably the hair.

"And that she's able to communicate with dragons because of it?" Tara went on.

"Also, yes. It's what Manny said. Why would he lie?"

"How extraordinary," she breathes in awe. "If those are the side effects of the blood, then what is the side effect of your kiss? You said that Manny mentioned there being one, but that he didn't tell you what it is. Any ideas?"

I shrug, wishing that I knew and hating Manny for being so secretive. "No ideas over here, but then again, I did hit my head pretty hard."

Tara giggles and says nothing more, allowing silence to fill the room. She was watching me watch Elsa, waiting for me to reach my hand out and caress Elsa's chubby cheek, and while I wanted to, my fear was holding me back. Fear that I knew I need to get under control. I will not give Pitch anymore strength. I need to be strong.

But how can I when I can't even touch the princess?

Now, I know I don't need to be able to touch her to protect her, but if there's a situation where she needs to be carried away to safety, how can I do that without being able to make contact? I guess I could put her in a basket and carry her in that. But where the hell do I find a basket at?

"Are you going to try or not?" Tara suddenly says, breaking the silence and making me jump a little. "Because it's very important that I meet up with the others. There's much I need to discuss with them, especially about you being awake now. North had wanted to take you back to the Pole, but I was too afraid of moving your body too much. Plus," she smirks and sticks her hand inside the cradle to caress Elsa's cheek one more time, "I figured you want to see her as soon as you woke up."

"Well, you're definitely not wrong about that," I say and hesitantly bring my hand up. Tara, upon seeing this, steps aside to give me more room, and patiently waits in silence. However, I bring my hand down and sigh. "I can't, Tara. I'm too cold for her. What if I wake her?"

Queen Tara throws her head back and groans in a very unqueenly fashion. "Oh Heavens above! You are such a coward."

Say what now?

"Am not!" I huff out, probably a bit too childishly.

"Oh yeah?" She's smirking and it annoys me. This must be what Bunny feels when I smirk at him. "Prove me wrong."

Ah so that's what this is. Reverse psychology or whatever the hell you call it. Might as well just get this over with. The faster it's done, the faster we can move on. "Anyone ever tell you that you're pretty annoying?" I say to her as I gathered the courage to lift my hand.

"No," says Tara, "but I'm sure you get that a lot." And of course...she's right.

And so, without a second thought, my hand is back up and then it's going back down, toward the baby this time, and right when the back of my fingers were an inch away from her cheek, I close my eyes and expected to feel the familiar tingling sensation that happens when I go through someone.

But I don't.

Instead I feel skin against mine. Soft skin.

And my eyes fly open and my heart is racing and...and...

And I see that my fingers are touching Elsa's cheek...

And that she's not bothered by my coldness.

And that...my vision is blurry.

I'm crying.

I pull my hand away to quickly erase the tears that fell down my cheeks, which are no longer cold and are instead tremendously hot. God this is so embarrassing. I hate crying in front of people, even if Tara is one of the most nonjudgmental person I know.

I know she saw, but luckily she said nothing as I composed myself, and I'm grateful for it. My blushing would have intensified if she had said anything, and since I'm a cold creature, I really cannot stand the heat. "So...um..." I clear my throat and continue to avoid her eyes. "That's new." But on the inside I'm freaking out.

Like a lot.

HOLYSHITHOLYSHITHOLYSHIT!

"Jack," Tara breathes out, a little laughter in her voice, and when I finally look at her, I see that she's crying too, and it honestly made me feel better. "You have a believer."

And yet I still refused to believe it. "No, that...that's not possible. She has no idea who I am. She has no idea who _she _is or what's going on or-"

"Magic calls and answers to magic," she interrupts, the same words she had said to me last week with the Bewilderbeast. "She may not be a being of ice, but it was two ice beings who helped bring her here." She's grinning now before she continues. "Congratulations, Jack." And she means it, while I...don't know what the actual fuck is going on.

So I say nothing and stare back down at Elsa, as if she could give me an answer, but all I get is silence, followed by a little stirring. When she had stirred, her head had turned my way, which it now rests, and a little drool was oozing out.

This causes my lips to crack into a smile, and being much bolder now, I reach my hand back in to wipe it away. My action causes her lips to curl into a smile and seeing it literally killed me! Jesus Christ, she is so freaking adorable! Can I just kidnap her and take her to the Pole to live with North and I? I'll be the most amazing older brother ever.

I mean...I already was the most amazing older brother ever. After all, I died saving my sister. If that's not considered being the most amazing older brother ever then I don't know what it. And to be honest...I'd die all over again with no hesitation when it comes to saving Elsa. My new sister. I don't regret saving Emma, and I won't regret it in the future with Elsa should something like that happen.

Which I pray won't ever come to occur.

"Your name is very similar to my sister's," I say to the princess as I wipe her drool off of my finger and onto her blanket. I then move that same finger toward her tiny hand, just to see what her itty bitty fingers felt like, and to my surprise, all of her fingers wrap around my one large one, squeezing tightly in her sleep.

"Aww," Tara cooed, "how cute!"

"Yeah," I agree, chuckling, but secretly freaking out internally again because of how strange it is to be touched by a mortal. "She's got a strong grip too, by the way. That's definitely a good sign of health."

But then...something happened.

I didn't know what it was at first, but what I did know was that my finger that the princess was holding was tingling. Not like the sensation I get whenever someone goes through me, but something...far more pleasant.

And then I see it.

It slowly creeped out from beneath her fingers, painting my own finger and covering my skin all the way up to the nail.

Tara and I both gasp, and while I was at a loss for words, Tara is quick to say: "Jack! What are you doing?"

"It's not me!" I hiss, my body completely frozen even though it was only my finger that is covered in frost. Yeah, that's right. Frost.

_FROST!_

Frost that did not come from me.

Which can only mean one thing.

It came from her. Baby Elsa.

"Are...are you seeing this?" I say, full of disbelief as my voice came out in a shaky voice. "Is this for real? Tara, _is this for real_?!" Because this all feels like a dream. There's no way that...that this baby...has powers like me.

_She's like me!_

The only other beings of ice that I've known of for centuries were the Winter Fairies of Pixie Hollow, and then just last week I discovered that there are ice dragons, which absolutely blew my mind (by the way, I'm still salty that Tara never mentioned them before). But this? A human baby coating my finger with frost? This is way more shocking than the ice dragons! Like...by far!

Because with there being a human with powers like me, the powers of Winter, I finally have a friend like me than I can actually do things with. The Winter Fairies are cool and all, there's actually one fairy I'm rather fond of, Periwinkle, but she and the rest of her kind are only 2 inches tall. The kind of fun I like to do is pretty extreme and would most definitely kill her. In the words of Queen Tara, "You can't throw a snowball at a fairy!"

Tara has the ability to shrink and grow people, and she's shrunk me before to hang out with the Fairies of Pixie Hollow, but that only happened once. You see, out of all of her abilities, shrinking and growing people takes the most energy out of her. She's been alive for eons and to this day she still hasn't improved her strength in that department. So, being the ever generous adopted son that I am, I vowed to not ever waste her energy on me like that again. The Fairies and I may not be able to have snowball fights, but we still get along quite nicely in our normal sizes.

As for ice dragons like the Bewilderbeasts and Snow Wraiths, I just found out about their existence last week so I haven't really had the time to seek them out and befriend them. But befriending and taming dragon is dangerous and takes time, time that I barely used before and time that I certainly no longer have now. Plus, there's no way they'd be able to throw a snowball properly. I think they'd cheat too with their tails. They got some real strength in those limbs.

Elsa though...she's perfect.

Unlike the fairies, she'll grow, and it will be in a manner that is one of a human woman and not of an enormous ice dragon (maybe); she's also not dangerous like a wild Snow Wraith is. I won't have to tame her to befriend her. Well, actually, she might be a little dangerous when she's older and needs helps controlling her powers. I know I needed a lot of help with my powers after my rebirth. There was a lot of ice and snow during those first few years. I almost created a second ice age.

"I-I am seeing it, Jack," came Queen Tara's wide eyed reply, mouth agape and I'm sure mine's the same way. "And I think that this might be the side effect that Manny mentioned. I knew there was more to it!"

And once again...HOLYSHITHOLTSHITHOLTSHIT!

"Jack, I'm not entirely sure, but," she stops her sentence, unsure if she should go on, but I urge her to continue.

"But what? What were you going to say?" I ask, trying to keep my focus on the beautiful Mother Nature and not the beautiful frost that now paints my finger.

She doesn't answer for a moment, until finally she does. "What if your kiss gave her some of your powers? What if...what if you gave her some of your soul? That would literally make her your other half."

My other half? Oh geez, that sounds weird as hell. "Ew don't ever say that to me ever again. She's a child, Tara!

"That's not what I was suggesting," Tara growls, but composes herself with a sigh. "Now I _definitely_ need to fetch the others. I'll be back and for the love of everything, don't do anything stupid."

My usual response to that is that I don't make promises, but because of all the weird shit I had endured, all I managed to say is: "Okay."

Next thing I know, she's pulling out a snow-globe from her dress pocket, does the usual, and then she's gone. Leaving me alone with the baby with so many titles. Elsa. Princess Elsa. Soon to be Queen Elsa. Your highness. Heir. Baby girl. And so on. And yet, there was only one nickname that I could agree with.

"Is she right, Snowflake?" I say to the sleeping princes. "Was it me who gave you some of my powers? Was it my frozen kiss that gifted you? You can control ice, snow, frost, _and_ you can talk to dragons. Two ice magics flow through your veins. You really are one of a kind." I smile fondly and rub her cheek with my thumb, the one on the hand she was still holding. "Is it also true that you have half of my soul? I didn't think Manny would take me literally when I yelled that at him. That's probably why I passed out then."

Though her eyes were still closed, her lips reached into a smile again. Can she hear me? Whether she does or not, I know that one day we'll be having actual conversations and have the most fun the Guardian of Fun can bring. And while I know I'm able to touch her. I'm still not entirely sure if she can hear and see me; I'm not entirely sure if she believes. If she does, GREAT! If not then...then I'll make her believe. I'll find a way.

And if I don't then...then that's okay. No matter the outcome, I'm going to spend a good portion of my immortal life being at her side, as her Guardian. I'll be whatever she needs me to be if she ends up believing in me. I'll be a brother, a friend, a supporter, an adviser, a weapon...whatever she wants me to be I swear to it that I'll be that for her. But no matter if she believes or not, I will _always _be her Guardian. I swear to it that I'll always be there to protect her even when she can protect herself with her powers.

I, Jack Overland Frost, do solemnly swear that I will protect the newly born Princess of Arendelle with my life...and Princess of Winter too, for she was born on the Winter Solstice.

So not only does Arendelle have a princess...

Winter does too.

And I'll protect her until her very last breath.

Or until mine.

.

.

.

**A.N: If my calculations are correct, there is one more "prologue" chapter until we start to pick up pace with the story, which will either start at Elsa's Coronation or when our other character's get their invites for it. We shall see. Thank you so much for reading! I'd love to hear some of your ideas too. Drop a comment and interact with me! It means a lot :D**

**Also I hope you don't mind the cussing. I find it effective in expressing emotion.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Jack's POV**

The other Guardians didn't pay Elsa a visit until Christmas, which was four days after her birth, and during those first four days of her life I remained at her and her parents' sides. Well, that's a lie. I actually left a few times to scope the area, looking for anything that would lead me to Pitch. Unfortunately, there was no sign of him. There was, however, a whole lot of snow in the King and Queen's room when I came back, a sign of the gift I had unintentionally given the princess.

Iduna and Agnarr were shocked beyond belief, as expected, when they discovered Elsa's powers. It happened an hour or so after Tara and I had discovered it ourselves. I was going through some of the King's things, looking for a writing utensil and some paper to doodle with so I could survive boredom, when Elsa suddenly started to cry.

That's not all she did though. Yeah, she actually froze her entire cradle, and before I could come to her aide, her parents are already wide awake and at her side, shocked at the sight. It didn't take them long to come up with the conclusion that their daughter had been gifted, and while I knew Iduna would be ecstatic about her daughter being magical, since she grew up with magic, it was Agnarr's reaction that I was concerned with.

Magic is what his father feared. It's what killed him.

To my surprise though, he's just as thrilled as his wife is.

Thank God!

Unless he's pretending.

Anyway, when Tara returned, I told her what she missed, and she told me that the others plan on visiting with North on Christmas. Christmas rolls around and the others are completely smitten with Elsa, just as Tara and I are. North, being the jolly Mr. Santa Clause that he is, gifts her with a silver snowflake patterned rattle, which excites the princess, who was awake when the others had visited. And upon her excitement, frost emits from her fingers and covers the rattle that she held, shocking the others though they already knew of her powers.

And their faces absolutely killed me! Bunny's most of all.

Time goes on and there's still no sign of Pitch. Whenever a different Guardian would take over my babysitting shift, I would leave to bring Winter to whatever location Queen Tara needed, searching for any signs of him too and finding nothing. Sometimes it wouldn't be a Guardian at all that would take over the babysitting. Sometimes it would be a human sized Leafmen that Tara would glamour to be unseen by the humans. She usually sends out her most trusted soldier, General Ronin, who I swear she's in love with. I think he loves her too to be honest.

Anyway, time passes and Elsa's powers grow stronger. And while neither Agnarr or Iduna has ever handled a child before, let alone one who possess magic, I must say that they were doing a fantastic job at raising her and handling her powers.

In February, another heir is born to the Viking village of Berk, premature as well, which is uncommon for Vikings. I wasn't there for his birth, but I sure as hell went to visit him, and my oh my did I ever laugh at his name. Hiccup they call him. Poor boy.

More time goes on, and nothing bad happens. Not for a while six months at least, and it was during this sixth month, early June, that I was overcome with guilt.

Agnarr has a younger sister, Arianna, who was betrothed at a young age, 12 or 13 I think, and was sent to live with her future husband and his parents in the Kingdom of Corona. This happened a few months before everything went down with the Northuldra Forest. Because apparently, according to Queen Tara who had learned of this after the Northuldra issue, King Runeard has a dislike for female children. Even his own.

So away his daughter went. Luckily, her betrothed wasn't too old, just around her age, and even more lucky, he's a complete gentleman who genuinely fell in love with her and vice versa. They married a year or two before Elsa's birth, and when they came to visit, Queen Arianna was heavily pregnant. She looked like she was going to pop any day.

And it's because of her being pregnant that I was so overcome with guilt. I mean, even if she wasn't pregnant I still would have felt bad, but since she was...well, I felt more than bad. More than guilty. I was devastated.

She and her husband had visited Arendelle in the beginning of June, hoping to stay for the entire month for their summer vacation and so they could get to know their six month old niece, whose powers they were well aware of since Iduna and Agnarr wrote to them about it. Very few people know of Elsa's powers. The only people who know are her aunt, uncle, parents', the Guardians and I (though they don't know that), and a few selected staff members. However, because of what happened...their vacation was cut short.

Elsa was playing on the floor in the living quarters, while the adults sat on the couch, talking and watching. I was playing with her too, and she must have gotten too excited because next thing we all know, a blast of ice goes shooting out of her hands, and accidentally strikes her aunt.

Corona's Queen fell cold immediately and the day after was declared drastically sick. Their visit was cut short because of this accident and they returned home. Two weeks go by when we hear of Queen Arianneas condition. Iduna and Agnarr were quick to read the letter that was sent to them from Corona, and upon reading it, they find out that Arianna is dying...

And so is her child.

Of course, all I could think about was Elsa and her mother and how they were both in a similar situation just six months before. I go to Queen Tara, praying that she'd be able to receive some more of the Bewilderbeast's healing blood, but instead she says:

"Actually, I found something else that doesn't involve any blood at all. I was doing some deep cleaning in my archives and found some old writings of mine that struck my interests. Long ago, so far in the past that I actually completely forgot about it, I had made a magical healing flower. It can heal the sick, injured, and can even keep someone young forever. Had I remembered it, I would have used it for Iduna, but alas you can't change the past. All that needs to be done in order for the flower to work is to sing it a very special song. I was bored at the time when I was creating it, so I was letting my imagination get the better of me.

However, in order to heal both Arianna and her child, she'll need to drink it. All you need to do is sing to the flower and drop it in some water as it glows. It should instantly dissolve. And coincidentally, it resides deep within the forests of Corona. I even managed to turn it into a myth. Everyone in that kingdom should know of the legendary flower. So if Frederick and Arianna believe in magic, which they should considering Elsa is proof of magic's existence, and because I'm sure Agnarr told them of his experience with the Elementals, then having them believe in this flower should be easy."

And so, she gives me the location of the flower, as well as the lyrics to the song, and away I went, telling her that this was something I needed to do on my own since I was the one who got Elsa excited and caused her to accidentally harm her aunt and cousin. She did, however, volunteer to watch over the Arendelle Royal Family in my absence.

She also vowed, on New Years, just a week after Elsa's birth, to never reveal herself to Iduna ever again, hung up on the idea that something bad will happen again if she does, even though she knows damn well that it was Pitch's fault the whole time. She's a mother though; it's her job to constantly worry.

Anyway, it took me no time at all to find the flower thanks to Mother Nature giving me the location, and when I found it, I was very surprised to see that an old woman was already there, singing to it and using its powers. I was left in shock at the change of her appearance, which changed from old to young in a matter of seconds. When the flower stopped glowing and the woman had no use for it anymore, she covers it with a handcrafted bush that honestly looked really real. She then climbed to her feet and pulled her hood over her head, leaving without a second thought.

I had wanted to follow her, to find out who this woman is and how she came across this flower. Because if she's using it to keep her youth then how old is she exactly? In her elderly form, she looked like she was on the brink of death.

But I didn't have the time, so I left her be. Knowing that the flower is where Tara had said it was, and that it most certainly works, I left for the kingdom. I wrote a note to the King of Corona, telling him of the magical healing flower's location, and left it beside the Queen as she slept. I waited until King Frederick found and read it, and when he did, I saw hope flash in his eyes. Hope that would have put Bunny in tears.

He assembled a search party, and while others didn't believe, the King's belief kept them going until they found the flower. They did as instructed, dissolving the flower as the King sang to it, making it glow, and gave it to his wife to drink. She gave birth hours later, on the Summer Solstice, to a beautiful, healthy baby girl with a head full of golden blonde hair. Hair that she most certainly didn't get from either of her parents.

Seeing her reminded me of her cousin, who I hadn't seen in quite a while, so once I made sure everything was perfectly fine, I made my way back to my new home, to Arendelle. Back to the infant that stole my heart.

And just when I think all is well, I hear a few days later that Elsa's cousin, who I found out was named Rapunzel, was kidnapped.

The Guardians and I searched for her for months, but not once did any of us find a clue. And it wasn't until Bunny, the Guardian of Hope, gave up...that I gave up too.

Life went on, and Elsa's first word was my name. Her parents were left confused and disappointed, but still somewhat happy that their daughter is starting to speak. I was in tears and beyond thrilled.

As she grows older, we begin to have conversations. Her parents assume I'm an imaginary friend. Elsa tells them I have ice powers like she does, so they assume that it's only natural for her, or for any child who is different, to make up a friend who is very similar to themselves. Despite the fact that she has me (although I know her parents don't know that), they say she's lonely.

So they decide to have another kid.

Elsa's sister, Anna, was born when Elsa was 2. She was born on the Spring Equinox, and it absolutely blew my mind because her sister and kidnapped cousin were born on the Solstices. It only made me wonder if there's a princess out there somewhere born on the Autumn Equinox.

The Four Seasons.

Anyway, unlike Elsa and Rapunzel, I did not need to save Anna. Everything went perfectly fine with Iduna's pregnancy with her.

And I've never been so relieved. I was on edge for the entire nine months.

As the princesses grow, they become inseparable. I was grateful that Elsa had someone when I wasn't around. Elsa even managed to make Anna believe in me, making her my second believer. She would have been my third if Rapunzel was never taken. I know deep down that she would have believed in me too.

Because after all...magic saved her also. I wonder if she has powers because of it too, but sadly, with her being kidnapped, I'll never know.

She would be Elsa's age now, and had she not been taken, I know the three girls would have been the best of friends. Elsa is a wonderful sister. She would have been an equally wonderful cousin.

More time passes, and when Elsa is 8 and Anna 6, I made a terrible mistake in leaving them.

I was watching the two sisters play a game they called "The Enchanted Forest", and of course, right when the game is getting intense, it's cut short when their parents make it to their room to give them a bedtime story. And what a story it was.

Because the story that their father told was based on true events.

Agnarr told his daughters about what happened to him while he visited the Northuldra forest, and while he spoke of this, my eyes were glued to Iduna's the entire time, catching her reactions. Because from what I was aware, I had no idea if she had told Agnarr that she was there or not, that she was the one who saved him. And according to Agnarr, he still had no idea, which meant that Iduna never told him.

Queen Tara had told her that day with the Bewilderbeast, when Iduna had confessed that Agnarr didn't know, to do what she felt was right. And I guess, to Iduna, that meant not saying anything at all.

Anna had swooned over her father's secret savior, not knowing that she was actually laying in that savior's lap and that the savior is her own mother, and eventually the princesses said goodnight to their father. Their mother, however, stayed a little while longer, and told them of a magical river called Ahtohallan, which I've actually been to before.

It happened after Tooth gave me my memory box when I became a Guardian. Upon seeing my old life, I...well obviously I became upset. I ran away for a long time, a month to be exact, trying to locate my former home, former friends, former relatives, newer relatives, but since I had no believers...I wasn't able to talk to anyone.

I wasn't able to get help.

And then...then I hear a voice. My sister's voice.

_Emma's voice!_

She called to me, and I followed.

I was led to Ahtohallan, the frozen river that Iduna spoke of, whose name I later learned from North when I had returned and told him of my journey, and of course, it wasn't an actual river at all.

It was a glacier.

Because glaciers are rivers of frozen ice.

And my was it ever a beautiful experience.

The memories of the past, of both mine, my sister's, and even my own parents were broadcasted on the icy walls, showing me things that my memory box full of teeth couldn't. Memory boxes only show the teeth's owner's memories, but Ahtohallan is able to show memories that belong to everyone that you love. Because water...

Water remembers. It holds memory.

While I there, I got my answers, and...I found myself. I truly found myself and it was then that I fully embraced who I am.

So when Iduna sung about the frozen river to her daughters, a lullaby native to her people, the lullaby she somewhat sung to Elsa when she was born, begging her to live, I pathetically teared up at how beautiful it was and how I longed to return to the glacier again.

To see the things that my memory box can't show me.

Anna was dead asleep before Iduna even finished her song, but Elsa stayed awake for the entire thing. Her mother even held her as they looked out the window, staring up at the Northern Lights that painted the sky.

That's when I realized the coloring of the lights and found out that it was actually North's signal for a meeting. I stayed in the room until Iduna left, and when she did, I whisper to Elsa, who was tucked in bed, "Sleep well, Snowflake. I'll be back."

"Where are you going, Jack?" She had asked, yawing in the middle of her question as she snuggled against her pillow.

I had smiled at that. "Santa's calling for a meeting. I can't keep the old man waiting. Don't want to get on the naughty list." I booped her nose then, and she giggled.

"You're always on the naughty list though," she said and I clutched the fabric above my heart in fake-hurt.

"You wound me so, my dear," I teased and she giggled again.

Music to my ears.

I kissed her forehead and did the same to Anna before leaving, knowing they'd be safe with Tara's Leafmen secretly lurking around. Pitch might have been off the radar for years, but we were all still worried for his next return. The Leafmen pretty much became Arendelle's secret, invisible guards.

And of course, Pitch Black was actually what the meeting was about.

According to North, Pitch had displayed a black, sandy figurine of himself on North's globe, a sign North had said. A warning.

That the Boogeyman is still here.

That he never left.

The rest of the meeting was us trying to come up a plan, but it was the same plan as before. Search the world for any signs of him and to always keep looking.

Because how can we come up with an actual plan if we don't know where he's at?

Afterwards, I'm returning to Arendelle.

Upon my arrival, I make it back just in time to see the King and Queen riding away from the castle on their horses. It wasn't until my eyes caught sight of an icy trail being emitted from the King's horse, that I noticed Elsa sitting in front of him, and Anna with her mother on the other horse. From what I could see, Anna was asleep, but Elsa...she looked upset.

I flew after them in a hurry, and when I was right beside the King's horse, I call out to Elsa. "Elsa! What's going on?" She was pressed against her father's back, and the tears I saw on her face caused my heart to ache. When she looked over at me and made eye contact, my heart did more than ache. It shattered.

"J-Jack," she whispered, but said nothing else. Her eyes and her voice were filled with fear, and while I wanted an explanation right away, I knew I had to wait.

"It's okay," I tell her. "I'm here."

I followed the King and Queen deep into the woods until we made it to a rocky region. Something about it felt...magical. It wasn't until the rocks started moving toward the royal family and exposed their true selves that I realized. Trolls. I've heard about them before, but I've never seen them in person. I was just as shocked as Elsa and the Queen. The King, however, didn't seem all that surprised.

Because of course King Agnarr wouldn't be surprised. He's probably read so much about magical creatures, especially after his time with the Northuldra. And since Iduna hasn't been around magical creatures in years, (and considering the last time she was around magic it was very violent ordeal), it was only logical for her to be scared, especially with her children being presence. She held onto Anna tightly, pressing her youngest daughter into her chest and slightly hiding behind the King, whose arm protectively went out to shield his wife and eldest daughter, who clung to his leg.

"It's the king!" One troll had said. Whispers followed after. I noticed that some trolls were looking at me, and I had to put a finger on my lips to signal them to be quiet.

The leader of the trolls made himself known, asked some questions, and next thing I know he's changing Anna's memories. Every memory she's ever had of Elsa using her powers was replaced with Elsa _not_ using her powers. He took away every memory she had of Elsa's magic. He took away every memory of me and the other Guardians too. Her parents didn't see me or the other Guardians in Anna's memories as they hovered above us for all to see, but Elsa and every troll that was paying attention did.

And right before our eyes, I vanished in the memories, no longer there, no longer existing...just gone. So not only did Anna no longer have any memory of Elsa's magic, but she no longer had any memory of me too. She no longer believed in me. To Anna...I became a myth again. And what was the reason? To protect her. And I simply couldn't understand. Why would she need protecting from Elsa's powers? They aren't dangerous. They can be, but never around her sister are they even slightly dangerous.

So what the hell had happened that made them even think that?

I got my answer later that night, when Elsa locks herself in her room, not wanting to talk to her parents, who begged her to open up. She refused and eventually, Iduna and Agnarr give up and take their youngest daughter to sleep with them.

When they left, I made it my turn. I knocked on her door, told her it was me, and she opened it with no hesitation, wrapping her arms around me so quickly that I had stumbled backwards a little.

I held onto her as she cried, my heart breaking, and tried my best to comfort her. "Please don't cry," I said as I held her tight. "You know I hate it when you cry."

"It's all my fault, Jack," She sobbed, ignoring me. "Anna got hurt because of me. I didn't mean to hurt her."

"It's okay, Snowflake. Your sister is okay-" I began, but Elsa interrupted.

"But she doesn't remember I have powers now, nor does she remember you. She doesn't believe in you anymore, Jack, and it's all my fault."

I knew that no matter how many times I told her otherwise, she wouldn't believe me. After a moment, I gently pushed Elsa away from me so I could look at her. "Elsa, what exactly happened? You say that it's your fault, but...what did you even do?" I wiped a falling tear away with my thumb, and waited patiently for her to speak.

She looked away from me before answering. "We were playing in the Throne room. She was jumping from snow pile to snow pile. The piles reached almost to the ceiling. She was going too fast. I told her to slow down, and then...I hear this evil laughter come from beneath me. When I looked down, I see a shadow with golden eyes. The shadow grabbed my feet and pushed me down. Anna didn't notice. She went to jump, thinking that I was ready to make the next snow pile, but I wasn't. She was going to hit the floor and get hurt. I panicked and accidentally struck her in the head. It was me who ended up hurting her instead. This is all my fault!"

My heart stops at her words and my blood runs colder than it usually does.

A shadow with golden eyes? There's only one person with that description and that's Pitch Black, the Boogeyman. Who else could it have possibly been? First North assembles a meeting about Pitch, and now Elsa is telling me that a shadow with golden eyes tripped her. This is no coincidence.

And quickly goes the questions raging in my head.

What does he want with her? Why can't he just leave Elsa and her mother and everyone else in the family alone? What is he planning? Was the shadow North saw on his globe more than a warning? Was it part of his plan to get me away from the princesses? A distraction? He knew that upon seeing the sandy figurine on the globe that North would assemble a meeting. As a Guardian, he knew that I would go. He was watching the whole time! And where were Tara's Leafmen? Was Pitch able to sneak past them through the shadows? Are they okay?

"Jack?" Elsa's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry," I had said. "I got lost in thought."

"That's okay," she replied, sniffling. "Can you spend the night with me? I don't want to be alone. I'm scared."

"Don't be scared," I assured her as I embraced her again. Her tiny arms wrapped themselves around my waist again, and I rested my cheek on her head. "I'm right here. I'll protect you. I wasn't there for you tonight, and I'm so, so sorry, but I'm here now. Try to get some sleep okay?"

"Okay." Was her tiny reply.

I sat beside her after I tucked her in bed and sung to her a sung, a different one than the one her mother had sung earlier, and thankfully she was able to find sleep.

Sleep, however, did not find me.

The years go on after that and STILL there is no damn sign of Pitch. It's legitimately pissing me off. I told the Guardians everything Elsa told me after that night, and they agreed that it was no coincidence. They knew just as well as I did that the shadow Elsa saw was Pitch Black. We searched and searched and searched, but found nothing. Not only did we find nothing, but Pitch never made himself known to us again. Doing to us what he did before, showing up and hiding and showing up and hiding...it's annoying really.

Eventually, our searching stopped...again. The worry stayed, of course, but there was no lead for us to go on. We absolutely had no idea on what to do. So we pushed the issue away and lived our lives. But we always stayed alert.

I think I was more alert than anyone else, especially when Hiccup, the 15 year old heir of Berk, brought peace between the dragons and vikings. Pitch would have the time of his life if he managed to convince a new dragon rider to terrorize people from neighboring kingdoms and islands. So much like Arendelle, Tara sent out eyes to watch over Berk.

And while Hiccup grew to be an excellent leader despite his recklessness, Elsa grew to be...not reckless at all, which honestly I feel is a bad thing. Everyone needs to risks things once in a while, but Elsa? She wasn't up for it. She didn't want to risk anyone getting hurt because of her.

Not again.

She grew to hate and fear her powers, and no matter how many times I tried to convince her to love them again, she wouldn't listen. She wanted to learn to control them, and I did my best to teach her. To actually _use _them. However, my teachings did nothing. Her father's teachings, however, did.

I tried telling her that by loving her powers she is loving herself and that she must embrace them because they are a part of who she is. I told her that the more she practiced, the more she loved them, the more control she would gain. Her father told her the opposite.

He had told her to keep her powers concealed, to not let them show. He never said it out loud, but he was implying that her powers are bad, which they certainly aren't. Rather than listen to me, she listened to him, and of course she would. She was 8 at the time and he's her father It still blew my mind though. He deliberately separated her from her sister, and Elsa had the nerve to actually oblige in what he was telling her to do. She was willing to hide and isolate herself even though it hurt her all because her father told her to do so, and for the first time in my life...I hated Agnarr.

So did Queen Tara and for a little while I think Iduna did too.

And honestly...it scared me seeing him like that. Seeing him so fearful of the magic his daughter possesses. And the reason why it scared me is because...

It made me think of his father.

It wasn't until he forced her to wear gloves that I actually got angry with _her_.

And what did she do? She still didn't listen. Instead, she got angry with me too. She insisted that she wear the gloves, and...well...I let her. I couldn't just force her to not wear them even though I knew she truly didn't want to. Even though I knew she only thought she wanted them to be worn. She was being forced, whether she realized it or not, to wear the gloves, and there I was...secretly wanting to force them off of her when she clearly was not up for it. I

I sometimes think I should have went ahead and forced them off of her, burning them and every other pair she'd get into the fire. But...I wanted her to make her own choice, even if it was the wrong one. I wanted her to feel as though she was free to choose.

Because, to be frank, she was no longer free.

I didn't want to do what her father did.

I didn't want to take away her freedom.

I did, however, continue my begging for her to take them off, which worked a few times, but it was only to practice her magic whenever she felt she really needed to. She only ever took them off then and only then, which didn't happen often. I wanted her to keep the gloves off and to never wear them again, but that never happened. She even slept with them on.

It genuinely made me sick.

Things took an even worse turn when her parents died just last year.

Which was the last time I saw her.

They died in a shipwreck on their way to another kingdom for business. I was at the Pole with North, helping him carve some ice figures since he was bored (and what Guardian of Fun would I be if I had just let the poor man die of boredom?) Queen Tara was watching the girls at the time, and to be honest...I was glad for a break. Elsa just...she gave off these vibes that she didn't want anything to do with me and it hurt.

I needed a distraction and North helped with that. Our time was interrupted though when La Muerte had burst into North's office, crying.

"They're dead," she had said through her tears. "Iduna and Agnarr. They're dead." And while she wasn't as close to them as Mother Nature was, she was still really fond of them. After all, she still watched them grow up at Tara's side. Of course she'd be upset.

It had taken me a moment to understand her words, and when they had finally clicked, I'm quick to my feet, ready to fly off to Arendelle, but La Muerte...she wouldn't let me.

"No one knows they are dead yet," she had told me. "Only you, North, and I know. You can't tell her, Jack."

"Well, I can't just keep it from her either!" I had snapped back. "Her parents are dead! How can you expect me to keep something like this from her? Especially since I see her every day? Did you honestly think I would have been able to keep my mouth shut in her presence when I have the knowledge of her parents' death?"

"Jack," North says in a warning tone, and says nothing more.

Holy Death had looked away regretfully. "I knew I shouldn't have told you."

And that...well it pissed me off. "So wait you weren't going to tell me? You were going to do to me what you want me to do to Elsa? Keeping away the truth?" The Guardian of Death and Halloween opened her mouth to speak but I had cut her off. "And what exactly was it that changed your mind? Why tell me when you originally weren't?"

La Muerte didn't speak for a moment, her lips tightly pursed and her gaze sharp as she avoided eye contact. She was trying to remain prideful. "Because," she finally starts, sighing in defeat as her shoulders slumped. "I felt it..it just...it felt wrong." She looks up at me then, embarrassed due to me actually being right. "I...couldn't keep something like that from you."

I had chuckled, bitter and humorless, at her audacity. "Exactly. You're a damn hypocrite, you know that?"

Anger flashed in her expression rather than hurt. The fire in her eyes flared as her eyes pierced into mine in a deadly glare. One hand was turned into a fist, while the other pointed at me. "No, unlike you," she poked me hard in the shoulder, so hard that I had actually stumbled back a little and felt pain, "I am smart and know how to follow the natural law-"

"Elsa isn't exactly a natural human-"

"You will not tell her, Jackson. That is an order-"

"You're not the boss of me. I'm not a child-"

"Which is something only a child would say!" La Muerte shouted, her roaring voice shaking the ground. "You may be 18 years old for the rest of time, but that does not make you an adult. Just an immortal, immature child."

Tears sprung to my eyes, but I did not let them fall. "I never said I was an adult either. I'm...stuck in between." Which is something she knows I have struggled with before, so I can't believe she would bring that up.

I'm not entirely a child, not entirely a man. I want things from both sides of the spectrum. Before my rebirth, I never wanted all that adult shit, I still don't, but like every teenager there have been some...urges. And those urges have started up again just a mere few months ago, but that is something I am NOT going to get into right now. I'm still trying to deny them.

My fellow Guardian sighed and closed the distance between us with a hug. "I know, mijo. I am sorry for that. I am also sorry for yelling at you, but please Jack, I am begging you. Do not tell Elsa. Let her mourn with her family and kingdom when the news arrives."

"She won't tell anyone," I tried to reason as I pulled out of her embrace. "Not even her sister. I'm the only person she actually has conversations with. I don't want to ruin that by not telling her and her finding out that I kept the truth. Please. I...I can't lose her."

North and Muerte glance at each other, and a spark of hope ignites in me, but instead Holy Death sighs and says: "Jack, if you tell her...you'll only have her suffer longer than the rest. Do you really want that for her?"

And those words...they struck me deep within my core. As much as I didn't want to agree, I knew that she was right. Elsa is going to suffer, but it's not fair to have her suffer longer than the rest. It would be cruel of me to tell her. It's cruel anyway that I'm not. It's cruel either way.

"Alright, fine," I say in defeat. "I won't tell her."

And it was really, really hard. Elsa knew right away when I visited her afterwards that something was troubling me, but I assured her that I was fine, merely tired. But I lied. I wasn't tired. I was wide awake and anxious and guilty. She knew I was lying too, she knows me better than anyone else just as I do with her, but she didn't pry. She knows what it's like to harbor a secret.

The news of their death arrived a week later. Elsa and I were in her room, like we always are, reading some boring old books, when Gerda and Kai knocked on her door. She invited them in, they told her, and...well...things escalated.

The temperature dropped, Kai and Gerda's breath was visible and they began to shake, and frost...frost began to form on the ground under Elsa's feet. She didn't cry though. She was in too much of a shock. So much in fact that she didn't even notice the frost that was expanding on the floor or her staff members' reaction to it.

Kai and Gerda were well aware of her powers since the very beginning, and when Gerda took a step forward to try to comfort her heir, Elsa was snapped out of her trance, frighteningly stepped back, and calmly as she could be, told them to leave.

They reluctantly did as she said, and when the door closed, Elsa locks it and leans her forehead against it. Still she didn't cry. She didn't speak either, and neither did I. I didn't know what to say. What do you say in a situation like this? Saying I'm sorry just seems...weak. But it was all I had...

"Elsa," I had started, breaking the silence, "I...I am so so sorry."

And just like that, she releases the most heartbreaking sob I have ever heard. Her shoulders were shaking, ice formed on the door from where her hands were placed, and it started to violently snow. I knew she was just going to shove me off if I tried to hold her, but I did it anyway because I had to at least try to do something.

I was left in surprised when she instantly clung to me, quickly accepting the embrace I was offering. She was always afraid to touch anyone ever since the accident, no matter what the physical contact was, and no matter if she wore her gloves or not. That included me, even though she knew her powers couldn't harm me. Not unless she stabbed me with an icicle or something.

"They're gone," She says through her sobs. "They're gone, Jack. I didn't even tell them I love them! I can't...I can't do this alone. I need them! What am I going to do?"

"You're not alone." I reminded her. "I'm here. I'll always be here. We'll figure it out."

She doesn't reply back. Her response was another sob, and as she cried, I couldn't help but tear up. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut so they wouldn't fall and held her tighter. I rocked her back and forth and prayed to Manny for him to take her pain away.

I don't know how long it lasted, but eventually she calmed down, the snow stopped falling, and she hoarsely says, "C-can you stay with me? Please, I...I don't want to be alone."

"Of course," I whispered, rubbing her back. "Let's lay down okay? Try to find some sleep."

Elsa nods and we break apart from our embrace to lay down in her bed. She didn't bother with getting under her blankets; she laid down right on top of them and when I laid directly across from her she immediately clung onto me again, leaving no space between us. Her face was buried in the crook of my neck, her arms resting between my chest and hers, and while this wasn't the first time I've cuddled with her like this, it was, however, the first time I've cuddled with her in almost a decade. And...well...a lot can change during a decade. Elsa's not a child anymore. She's...well...a young woman.

One who is near my physical age.

And because of her being a teenager, and it being my first time cuddling with her, as a mature woman now, it all felt...so different.

I had an idea on what it could be, but paid it no attention.

Well...I tried to at least.

Eventually we both fell asleep, unaware that it would be the last time we would be together.

She was already awake when I woke up, sitting on her window seat, and looking outside. When I sat up, I had expected my movement or the creaking of her bed to catch her attention. Instead, she remains looking out the window, searching for something unknown to me. No more snow, frost, or ice clung to the walls, floor, or ceiling but I knew it wouldn't be like that for long. Soon they'll be coated again once Elsa has regained more energy. More tears.

"Hey," I said, softly so I wouldn't startle her. I grabbed my staff that was leaning against the wall before looking back at her and seeing her reflection through the window. Her lips tightly pressed together and her eyes...they were stone cold. I've never seen them look like that before. So angry. So...betrayed.

"How long did you know?" She asked, her voice deathly calm.

Confused, I say: "What?"

She had turned her head over to look at me, her eyes looking more cold in person than what they looked like through her reflection. "I said," she snapped, surprising me at her harsh tone, "how long did you know?" Her eyes the began to fill with tears. "How long did you know they were dead? They didn't just die yesterday. They were dead for a while. I know La Muerte knew and I know she told you. She wouldn't have kept it from you, so why did you keep it from me?"

Elsa knows all about the other Guardians. She and her sister have met us all. All except Queen Tara, who still fears of the bad luck that might occur if she's seen by mortals. What happened with Iduna, though it wasn't her fault, still haunts her. La Muerte was very hesitant to meet Elsa again, at the age where they start remembering, but unlike Queen Tara, she was not too afraid. For Death fears nothing.

Sometimes.

Anyway, I was at a loss for words. I never expected Elsa to figure it out and I felt so stupid. Of course she would find out. She knows what La Muerte does. "I...Elsa...I...I swear that I-"

"That you didn't know?" She interrupts, sounding more angry than hopeful. "I want to believe that, Jack, but I know better. So don't bother lying to me. Tell me the truth. Now."

I pursed my lips tightly shut and gulped, afraid of how she'll react. There's no way she's going to stay calm. All hell is going to break loose. A frozen hell. I'm honestly scared for it. Not because of her powers possibly getting out of control and hurting me, but because she might not want to talk to me after this.

"Y-yes," I stammered, nervously gripping my staff tighter. "La Muerte told me. She told me not long after it happened."

Elsa sucks in a sharp breath and her eyes fill with more tears and an even stronger flash of betrayal. "Oh my god," her voice cracks and she lets out a sob. "I...I didn't want to believe it. A part of me hoped that you really didn't know, but...I was right. You did know," she whispered as her body began to shake like it did yesterday. She then suddenly got to her feet, and with a stronger voice she screamed at me. "You knew!" So many tears began to fall from her eyes and ice, not frost or snow, but ice began to form under her feet and cover her fingers.

She didn't seem to notice it though. "You knew the entire time!" She yelled, the ice from her feet expanding at a quicker speed, and the fire burning brighter in her eyes. "And you had the audacity to visit me everyday and not tell me? How could you do that? How could you look at me with that knowledge and not tell me?"

"I wanted to!" I quickly jumped in, frantically trying to defend myself to her. "I wanted to tell you as soon as I found out. It killed me every day, but...I was ordered not to."

Elsa gives a bitter, humorless laugh. "Ordered? Jack, you barely ever listen to orders."

"I did it for your sake," I tried again, heart racing.

"My sake?!" She exclaimed. The ice was at her wrists now and still she didn't know. "You know what? Get out."

My eyes widen at those two words. "W-what? Get out? What are you-"

"I don't want to see you anymore, Jack!" She interrupts, her tears falling nonstop. "Just leave me alone."

That right there was what I was afraid would happen and it just came true. "Wait, Elsa, please," I dropped my staff and rushed to her, holding her crying face in my hands, which only made her cry harder as she grasped my wrists with her icy fingers, keeping me close even though I knew she wanted to push me away. "Please," I begged her, my voice shaking, "what can I do to fix this?"

"Tell La Muerte or Queen Tara to bring my parents back," she said, not even skipping a beat as she opened her wet eyes to stare brokenly into mine. "Please, I...I can't do this without my parents, Jack. I can't control my powers. How on earth will I be able to control a kingdom too?"

"I can help you with both," I said, honest and eager. She took it as a joke.

She laughed bitterly again and removed my hands from her cheeks. "No offense Jack, but I doubt you know the first thing about ruling a kingdom." She then walked past me to stand next to her bed, facing her back to me. The start of her pushing me away...

"You certainly don't know how to help me control my powers too," she went on after a brief pause.

Offended, I said: "Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

She turns around to look at me again, the tears stained on her cheeks, making me want nothing more than to wipe them away. I would wipe them away forever if she'd let me. "It means, that your way of control consisted of too much emotion. The only way to control my powers is to conceal-"

"No it isn't," I interrupted, honestly a bit annoyed with her. "No offense, but your father's way of teaching you to control your powers is stupid and-"

"Stupid?!" Elsa interrupts, incredulously, and I realized that was the wrong thing to say. She stepped toward me, leaving a trail of frosty footsteps that I didn't notice earlier and pointed an ice-covered finger at me. "My father is dead and you dare insult his teaching methods? Just get out and leave me alone. I'm tired and I don't want to talk to you." Her gaze honestly gave me chills.

"Elsa-"

"I said GET OUT!" She stomped her foot and just like that spikes of ice suddenly sprung up from her feet, causing me to jump out of the way as they expanded towards me, going all the way to the window seat, traveling up the seat until it reached the window glass itself. If I had not jumped out of the way, it would have struck me, _impaled _me! Elsa was just as shocked as me and when she finally noticed her ice covered hands, she gasped and jumped back, more tears forming in her eyes.

"Jack, oh-oh my god...I...I'm so sorry," she whispered as she stared at the ice on her hands and floor in pure horror. "Oh my god...I'm a monster."

"Elsa-" I try again, my racing heart making me out of breath and my eyes as wide as salad plates, but she interrupts once more.

"Can La Muerte or Tara bring my parents back or not?" She suddenly asked again, her voice a sharp whisper as she looked away ashamed, wanting to change the subject. Wanting to ignore what it was she just did.

"No," I replied, reminding her of the answer she already knew. "They can't. You know they can't."

Elsa nodded and bit her lip as she hugged herself. "Then you should go and never come back. None of you should."

"Never come back?" I repeat, confused again "Elsa, I understand that you want me to leave so you can have time for yourself to mourn, but...never come back? I can't do that. I won't."

"Jack," she starts, sighing tiredly, "your purpose is to protect the children of the world and bring them fun. I'm 17 years old, no longer a child, and now that my parents are gone I have to start paying more attention to my purpose in life, which is being Queen. It's..." her eyes filled with tears again. "It's time we let each other go."

"But I don't want to let you go," I confessed, my voice breaking with my heart as my vision became blurry due to tears. "Elsa, I...I..." But I couldn't bring myself to say it. Those three really complicated words. The moment is wrong and I'd only make it worse.

"Don't push me away," I say instead. "Don't push me away like you did with Anna." And once again, I said the wrong thing. I just couldn't say anything right at all. The hurt that flashed in her eyes caused a huge amount of guilt to overtake me.

"I'm pushing her away to protect her." Elsa said after a moment of silent had passed. I would have apologized right away, but I was too consumed in guilt.

"But you're not dangerous!" I shouted, wishing she could get that drilled into her head.

"Not dangerous?" She repeated, incredulously. She then gestures to the ice sticking up from the floor. "Do you not see the ice that almost pierced you? Do you not remember that whole reason why I'm in this situation? I hurt Anna-"

"It was an accident!"

"Please, just go," she pleaded, "You're making this harder than what it already is. I'm just trying to protect you too."

That got a humorless laugh out of me this time. "No matter what I say or do, you won't believe me, will you? You're always going to think of yourself as a monster."

Elsa looked at me with sad eyes and nodded. "Yes, Jack. Because that's exactly what I am."

I shook my head again. "No, Elsa, you're not. You're not a monster. What you are...is scared. You're scared, Elsa, and last I checked, monsters don't get scared, especially of themselves."

"Please Jack," her voice cracked and the ice was up to her elbows now. "Just go already."

And I did. I respected her wish too. I never came back...

Or so she thought.

.

.

.

**A.N: And that concludes the prologue chapters. I think. I HOPE! Haha. Sorry if Elsa was out-of-character and good god this chapter is LONG! I hope you enjoyed it! Drop a comment and stay tuned for more :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**~Present Day: Elsa's POV~**

The Germans of Corona, my extended family. The Hispanics of Avalor. The Scots of Dun'Broch. The Dragon Riding Vikings of Berk. The Voyagers of Motunui. The Cavemen of Tumaro. The Vampires of Transylvania. The Ogres of Farfarawae. And lastly, the Leafmen of Moonhaven. All of who are invited to celebrate with the Norwegians of Arendelle for my upcoming coronation in two weeks' time. All of who Arendelle hasn't had contact with in years for different reasons, me being among one of those reasons.

I'm hoping that, by inviting them to my coronation, I'll be able to mend those broken bonds and add more to the list of Arendelle's allies. Originally, I wasn't going to invite them at all, except for Corona and Moonhaven, because I didn't know that they existed. I didn't know of their existence until I went through some old letters I found in the attic out of boredom.

After the accident with Anna ten years ago, my parents decided to reduce the number of allies, and now that I am about to become Queen, my first Queenly assignment is to get those numbers back up. Starting with my extended family. My aunt and uncle, Queen Arianna and King Frederick, live and rule in Corona. I haven't seen them in 10 years because of...because of what I did to Anna in the throne room. I don't even know if they know what happened, but...whether they do or don't it's time that I met them face to face.

Not as their niece that wants to get to know them again and is afraid to hurt them with her powers, but as a desperate Queen instead who is in need of more allies.

If I wasn't desperate, I wouldn't be inviting drunk Scots, barbaric Vikings who ride on the backs of dragons, even more barbaric Cavemen, bloodsucking Vampires, and frightening Ogres into my kingdom. I hate how rude that makes me sound, but considering that I've never encountered them before, I can only base them off of the things I have heard of them. Just until they prove me wrong otherwise, which I truly hope they do. I also hope that I'm not making a mistake, especially with the vampires.

Any normal Queen-to-be would never invite them into her kingdom and home and would have been shocked at finding out that the creatures of myth exist, and while I am indeed surprised, I'm more surprised that we used to be allies with them rather than them actually existing.

I'm already well aware that creatures and beings of myth are real. Every single one of them. Why is that? Well, I grew up with some of them, the Guardians as they're called, who have told me the truth about the legends. How they're all real and not always what they appear to be in stories. And even if I didn't grow up with the Guardians, I was born with magic in my veins, so surely I would have suspected there to be other people of magic and myth.

Magic. It's such a...complicated thing.

When I was younger, I used to love my powers with every inch of myself. But then...then that night happened, the night I saw the shadow and accidentally hurt my sister, the night that changed everything, and now...now I hate them. I hate them so much. They used to be a blessing, a gift, but for years now all I see is a curse. I was cursed and I don't know why or by who and I just...I hate it.

The only thing I can do about them is to conceal them, to forever hide them from others. I need to conceal, don't feel, and don't let it show. It's what father told me to do and I'll forever keep my promise to him until the day I die and reunite with him and mama in heaven.

I still can't believe it's been a year already since their death. A year of nothing but Queenly practice, practice, practice with my most trusted advisers. A year of grief that will never end. A year of...loneliness. A year with...with no Jack.

Jack Frost.

The Bringer of Winter.

The Guardian of Fun.

_My_ Guardian.

My first and only love.

He doesn't know that though and he never will. But you know what...it's for the best.

Jack Frost may be the love of my life, but he is not suited for the life I was born into. He's not even a responsible Guardian, so how can I possibly expect him to be a responsible King? That is...if we ever got married in the future, and more so if he even feels the same way about me as I do about him, which he most likely doesn't. I've known him all my life. He's known me since I was a baby. He probably see me as a little sister, and for years I've looked at him as an older brother.

But then I turned 15 and...I had a moment with him and...I don't know. Something happened. Something changed. The boy that used to be my brother, my friend, became something more.

Anyway, he'll always see me as a child, as a sister, so...no marriage there. I don't even want to get married, to be honest. Not to Jack or any other suitor. Not now at least. I'm only 18 after all. Far too young in my book. And I definitely don't want to commit to a relationship while I still have this curse. I don't want to hurt anyone. And since I have no idea how to get rid of my powers, my curse will stay with my for the rest of my life, which means no marriage at all. I doubt my advisers would like that. A Queen with no heir to her kingdom. Luckily, should I have no heir, I have Anna to take over. I just hope that if the time comes she'll be ready for it. That she'll be mature enough for it. She tends to act like Jack sometimes.

I know she'll make me proud though. I believe in her. Marriage is the last thing that my mind is focused on right now, but for Anna it's all she thinks about. She's crazy about love and marriage and wedding dresses. She'll get married before me for sure. She'll have a husband and children, heirs to the throne.

She'll succeed where I won't

Besides his childish tendencies and not feeling the same way about me, there's another reason why Jack isn't suited to share the crown with me.

He's invisible. No mortals can see him unless they believe in him. If we were to reunite, confess our love, and marry, my people would think me insane for sure. Because in their eyes, they wouldn't see Jack at all.

Anna and I were the only two children who could. See him, I mean. We were the only mortals who could see, touch, and hear him. Because of this, he spent a lot of his time with my sister and I. That is...until the troll from years ago erased her memories when he healed her. If it wasn't for me, Jack would still have Anna as a believer and Anna would know about my powers. We'd still be close. All three of us.

But I pushed them away.

To protect them.

Another thing about Jack though that would never work out with me is...well it's the fact that he's immortal and I'm not. I'll age and grow old while he'll forever remain an 18 year old boy until the end of time, bringing Winter to the world. It's because of his winter abilities, abilities that I share with him, that my parents always believed him to be an imaginary friend. Because it only makes sense for children to create a friend that is exactly like them. When you're different, creating a friend that is like you...well...it makes you feel less different. Less alone.

Before Anna, Jack was all I had. Now granted, I don't remember that time since I was two when Anna was born, but I'm sure I was lonely whenever Jack or my parents had to go off to do their duties. And guess what? For a whole year, that loneliness has been my only friend. My only company. It's a good listener, but when I have my nightmares...it's suffocating. And mixed with the silence, it's loud. Deafening.

I've been having nightmares for 10 years, ever since the accident happened, but this last year has been the worst ever. I've had more nightmares this last year than I ever have throughout the other years. Not once had I ever told Jack about it because...well...because there's this voice in them that tells me not to. He threatens me...he terrifies me...he has been for a whole decade. I only ever hear his voice in my nightmares, but his laughter...I've heard it once before in real life.

Just a mere few seconds before Anna got hurt 10 years ago.

I'll never forget that night. I'll never forget that laughter, that shadowy face, those golden eyes, and that voice that I hear in every nightmare. I'll probably hear it for the rest of my life. I'll never forget the dreams that have been haunting me for years. I'll remember every single one of them. Every different scenario. I'll remember the tears and fear and pain. I'll remember it all.

But for the last year, one of the things that haunt me the most isn't a nightmare at all.

It's my last conversation with Jack.

Our fight.

He knew about the death of my parents for a week and didn't tell me. Best friends don't keep things like that from each other, and yet...he did. Queen La Muerte, the Guardian of Death and Halloween, sure as hell didn't keep the information from him, and instead of telling me right away...he waits. He was off work that entire week and never left my side, and his behavior was just...off. I knew something was wrong and when I had tried asking, he brushed it off, saying it was nothing.

That the death of my parents was nothing.

And the only way I found out was actually because of the voice of my nightmares.

He told me that Jack knew, that I should seek the truth, and I did.

I prayed that he was wrong, that Jack didn't know, but Jack confessed, and I...I lost it. I wanted him gone, so badly in fact that I almost hurt him. Jack respected my wish and left, and for an entire year I have not heard word of him.

I have, however, heard from the other Guardians. All except the Guardian of Life and the Guardian of Death. Queen Tara, aka Mother Nature, and Queen La Muerte, aka Holy Death.

Unlike Queen Tara, I have encountered La Muerte before. I've encountered all of the Guardians except for Mother Nature. La Muerte is beautiful and kind, and while I know she wasn't the cause of my parents' death, I still resent her a little bit because I still feel like something could have been done to prevent it. I haven't seen her in a little over a year and I think it's because she knows I'm still upset and doesn't want to hurt me further with her presence. So in conclusion, she stopped visiting and writing altogether. A wise decision I think. I honestly don't know how I'll react if I ever saw her again.

Anyway, all of the Guardians would write to me whenever I was on their mind and they were too busy to visit. They did this even before the accident. And despite what happened last year, with me pushing Jack away, as well as the others, though I never said it to their faces, they still write to me. Fully knowing from Jack, I'm sure, that I didn't want anything to do with them anymore.

But now? Now I'm grateful that I still have their love. Love I don't deserve. I'm grateful for their letters that they still send me. Letters that I will never reply back to because I know it's all too late. I have a secret drawer that's filled with envelopes from North, Bunny, Sandy, Tooth, and Lucille. None of them are open though because I'm afraid on how I'll react to their words. Whether their words are good or bad, I know that my tears will fall either way.

And not once has Jack or Muerte written to me. It's as though they've never existed.

But I know better.

And even though I've never met Mother Nature before, I know that she's real too. I just wish I could have seen her at least once in my life. From what I've been told, mortals seeing the Guardians is against the rules, and while word has it that Queen Tara is actually very playful and mischievous, it's a rule she refuses to break.

Things are going to change though, at least with Tara, because I need her help. From one Queen to another. Besides, a meeting between us is long overdue. As I mentioned before, I need allies to strengthen my kingdom, and the Leafmen of Moonhaven, Queen Tara's people, are the perfect allies to have. The only problem is that her people are 2 to 3 inches tall and live in a miniature kingdom that's actually a forest and is quite large if you're their size.

Tara is able to make them grow though from what Jack has told me. She's Mother Nature after all. One of her many abilities is helping nature and its creatures grow. I'd love to see it in person rather than in my imagination, and perhaps...tomorrow...I will.

North has gifted me with a few teleportation snow-globes throughout the years that are able to take me wherever I wish to go. I never used them, always thinking it best if I just remained inside the castle, but tomorrow...tomorrow, for the first time in forever, _for the first time in my entire life, _I'll be venturing out into a new world.

Into Moonhaven.

To finally meet Mother Nature. Queen Tara.

And I pray it all goes well.

I'm going to be doing a lot of praying during my reign as Queen. It's going to be more difficult than it has ever been for any Queen of the past because of my curse. Not only that, but...I don't have my parents to help guide me. I used to not worry about taking the throne because I had always thought that my parents would be there to help me, but now they're gone, and so is Jack, and I...I'm terrified.

Which is causing frost to coat my fingertips under their gloves, right this very second. Gloves my father insisted I wear when I was eight years old. I've been concealing my powers for ten years, only releasing them when I'm alone to practice. And while I know it can never be, I long for the day when I can finally be free and just...let it go.

A day that will only ever exist in my dreams.

Dreams I so rarely have.

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**A.N: Thanks so much for reading you guys! (Also this chapter may or may not go through some editing) Anyway I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for more :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**~Elsa's POV~**

"Are you sure you want to invite the Vampires of Transylvania and the Ogres of Farfarawae?" Asks my most trusted adviser, Kai, as he proof read the letters I had written to our guests. "I don't mean to question your judgment, your Majesty, but...they don't exactly sound safe. Even the Cavemen and Vikings sound safer than these...creatures."

I understood his worry and find myself nodding as I continued to look at my father's portrait. "I share your worry too, Kai, but it's very important that we increase our number of allies. No matter who or what they may be. You know as well as I do that we need more."

I couldn't see him, but I knew he nodded. "I understand, your Majesty, and forgive me for pushing, but...are you really wanting to put our kingdom at risk? We don't know anything about Farfarawae since we've never been allies with them, and your father ended the alliance with Transylvania as soon as he found out about them being vampires-"

"But before his discovery," I jump in, hoping to ease his worry, as well as mine, "Arendelle was allies with Transylvania for years with no record of dead bodies or missing people showing up. And If I do recall correctly, my grandfather was rather fond of Lord Dracula. And besides," I turn around to face my most trusted and beloved servant, "the whole vampire and ogre thing could all be just an assumption. From what I've heard, Grandfather Runeard doesn't sound like the type of man who would willingly put his trust in vampires."

No, he sounds like the type of man who would hunt them down and kill them for fun.

"Father has also never met the Transylvanian royals before," I continue, still trying to defend my choice, "he's heard of what they looked like through his father and has asked about them to locals during his travels, but he's never actually met them. He saw connections and made the assumption of vampirism. The same can be said about the ogre royals in Farfarawae. A rumor was spread that the princess was an ogre, therefore making them all orgres, but we don't really know that for sure."

I sigh, the lack of sleep making my eyes feel heavy. I didn't sleep at all last night and I'm sure Kai knows it. "Look, Kai, our own people probably have assumptions about me and I...I would like it if they gave me a chance. I want to do the same for our guests. And...should they really be a threat..." I look down at my hands, covered in a pair of gloves that matched my outfit. "...I'll take care of it."

I'm just not sure if that means using my powers to fight them, which I have no idea how to do, or if it means I'd succumb to their conditions to secure peace, whatever they may be. For the vampires, they might turn me into their blood-slave. That is, if they really are vampires.

I believe they are, and so does Kai. He believes in all magic and its creatures, it's why he was my parent's favorite servant, so of course if my father deems something supernatural, Kai is going to believe it. So am I. Father had the ability to be very persuasive. However, just because we believe that these royals are vampires and ogres, it doesn't mean that we're right. It really could be just be one big misunderstanding. One big assumption.

A part of me hopes that it is, and yet a really messed up part of me hopes for them to be what we believe them to be.

It'd be nice having guests that...are a little bit like me.

Different.

"Very well, your Majesty," says Kai with the brief nod of his head. "I believe and put my trust in you. Shall I send the letters out now?"

"Yes, that would be great." I say with a nod before turning my back to him, back around to face the large painting of my father. "And if you don't mind, I'd also appreciate it if I am not bothered for the rest of the day. There is much rest I need to catch up on."

"Of course." He says. "I shall tell the rest of the staff. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

My eyes never left the eyes of my father as I shook my head. "No, that is all. Thank you."

I see him bow from the corner of my eye and without a second thought he heads for the door and leaves, leaving me alone with only my raging thoughts to keep me company.

"This is it," I say to myself, hoping to gather some confidence. "If they accept your invitation, you're going to have many worlds colliding. You're going to be going against father and grandfather. You're going to mend the broken bonds and be the Queen Arendelle needs you to be. You're doing the right thing. You're mending the bonds."

Because the majority of the broken alliances were done out of selfishness.

Grandfather ended our alliance with Berk because of their dragon problem becoming too expensive on our end. His reasoning was that their damage was costing us too much. So his selfishness led him to break the alliance off.

Money was also a factor in him breaking off ties with Dun'Broch, a kingdom in Scotland that's not exactly the richest. He broke it off with them because of how poor they are, saying that they are not beneficial enough.

The people of Tumaro reached out to us first, begging for an alliance, to be taught the ways of technology, which they didn't have, but because of their savage ways and attire, grandfather saw them as a waste of time and money. (Money seems to be a trend here.)

With Avalor, when the kingdom needed him most during their battle with a witch named Shuriki, he turned their back on them, not wanting to be caught up in magic.

Which is why I'm shocked that he forged an alliance with the Northuldra. According to father's story that he told to Anna and I years ago, which was on the same night as the accident, Grandfather Runeard allied himself with the Northuldra people, people who lived in harmony with magic, and who attacked them for no reason.

Just as father wondered, I wonder too. Why did they attack for no reason when all Grandfather wanted was peace?

And why did he associate himself with them, with magic, when he didn't want to be involved with magic at all with Avalor? Is it because they were at war? Most likely. In father's story, it was grandfather who wanted to establish peace, so for whatever reasons it was for _his benefit_. Helping Avalor wouldn't have been beneficial for him. And as karma would have it...things with the Northuldra didn't go his way.

Anyway, it makes sense why father was so obsessed with magic and why he was also weary of it too. For years I thought it was because of my powers and how they came to be, but after listening to his story and growing wiser, I realize his obsession was because magic killed his father. He became obsessed about it and it's creatures after the death of his father, but I never knew if there was a goal to it. Did he want to learn how to harness power, get rid of it, or to live in harmony with it like the Northuldra did? Did he think of me during his studies? Was his main goal to help me?

My heart swells at the thought.

Whatever his reason, his studies are what helped saved Anna. How else did he know of the trolls had it not been for him reading up on them? His studies and his findings are why he ended the alliance with Transylvania. Like I said to Kai, he saw connections and came up with an assumption that's probably not true. They're most likely people who love the Gothic arts.

If they accept my invite, then I suppose I shall find out the truth soon.

And I really really hope they accept.

If they are vampires, then we have a powerful (and scary) ally, and if they aren't then we still have an ally to add to the list. Beggars can't be choosers.

Moving on to Farfarawae. Farfarawae is a land of magic too, just like the Northuldra, but Arendelle was never allied with them. Ever. They were a possibility that grandfather never got around to because he wanted to focus on the Northuldra and their magic first. After them, it was his plan to reach out to Farfarawae second, but he died before getting that far. And when it was my father's time as King, he didn't want to risk it, especially since it was rumored that the princess is an ogre, which then led to the assumption of the whole family being made of ogres.

Father didn't want to associate himself with a magical land full of magical beings, just like his father did before him with the Northuldra. He didn't want to face the same fate my grandfather did. Magic...it can't be trusted.

Which makes me wonder if he ever trusted me. I know he loved me, but did he ever trust me? If he did, I broke it when I hurt Anna in the throne room. I know that for sure. But what about my aunt and uncle? The King and Queen of Corona. Queen Arianna is his sister, my aunt. Did he not trust them too? Why not? They know of my powers, so why did he break off ties with them after the accident? The only reasonable explanation I can come up with is because he wanted to keep them safe.

From me.

I shake my head and shift my thoughts to something else, drowning away any negativity.

The last kingdom on the special list of guests is Motunui. Now Motunui is especially special because it was _them_ who ended their alliance with Arendelle years before my grandfather's reign. They broke the alliance because they simply didn't want to voyage and trade anymore. Simple as that. Father and grandfather had nothing to do with them. Whoever was ruling at the time had nothing to do with it, and honesty...I'm relieved.

I heard word that they're voyaging again, and I hope that since they are now going back to their roots that they'll accept the invitation and are willing to trade again.

I hope.

I stick my hands inside the secret pockets of my dress and when my left hand comes in contact with an envelope, my eyes widen. How could I have forgotten? This letter is the one that kept me up the most last night. This is the letter that I'm going to be delivering myself.

"I might as well get it over with," I say out loud, taking note of the shakiness in my voice due to nerves. How embarrassing. I hope my nerves don't get the better of me.

Without a second thought, I'm heading back to my father's desk, _my_ desk now, and I'm opening up one of the drawers, revealing two teleportation snow-globes given to me by North. I pick one up and carefully put it in the same pocket with the envelope. After I do that, the second snow-globe is in my shaking hands.

Every inch of me is trembling and it's all because I'm going to be meeting Mother Nature, the only Guardian I haven't met. I hope she won't be angry with my sudden visit. Will she kick me out? Will she even let me speak? Will I even see her at all? Will she be there?

Only one way to find out.

I put my shaking hands to use and shake the globe.

"Moonhaven Palace," I say to it, and watch as the water inside of the globe transformed into an image of Queen Tara's kingdom. Or what I think is her kingdom. I've never seen it before, so I wouldn't really know what it looks like. From what I can see in the glass ball, it definitely look like a kingdom that would belong to her.

Composing myself one more time, I do the last step, and throw it against the wall, just as I was instructed to do. When the snow-globe hits the wall, I expected to hear the sound of glass, but instead a much louder sound is heard, followed by a bright light.

I jump back in fright at this, my hands tingling at almost releasing my powers, and my eyes squinting at the bright light. When they adjust to the brightness, they stare into the loud, bright, and swirling portal that's painted on the wall.

"Whoa," I breathe out, no longer fearful. My feet remained glued in their spot, unsure if I should continue, and after much conflict between my heart and brain, I find my feet hesitantly moving forward, toward the portal.

When I'm directly in front of it, I slowly bring my hand forward to touch it. From the way it looks, one would expect it to hurt, to burn or sting, but instead it felt like the wind. It felt...pleasant.

"You can do this," I say to myself, ignoring my nerves. "She's Mother Nature. There's nothing to be scared of. She's a Guardian. She's magic. Like you. She's...a friend." And with that being said, I close my eyes and...

I walk through the portal.

And when I make it to the other side, I'm greeted with people in green outfits made of leaves, surrounding me, and pointing their very sharp arrows at me.

Shit.

I should have thought this through.

The man closest to me is the first to speak. "Who are you and what business do you have in Moonhaven?"

I gulp under his stare and stammer out my reply. "I-I'm Princess Elsa. Soon to be Queen of Arendelle. I-I've come to talk to Queen Tara, or...Mother Nature as my kind knows her as." I stop talking, hoping it would be enough for him to know that I'm not a threat and to my surprise it works.

The man's eyes widen and he signals for his soldiers to lower their weapons, not even saying a word. With their weapons down, he says to me in a much nicer manner, "Forgive me, your Majesty for not realizing sooner. It's been a while since I last saw you."

Confused, I say: "Wait, what? We've met before?"

"Well, I've met you, but you haven't met me." He says, smiling a friendly smile. "My name is Ronin. General Ronin of the Leafmen. I used to watch over your kingdom when you were younger."

I almost choked on my own spit at his words. "Wait, what?!" I exclaim in an unqueenly manner, which causes my face to heat up in embarrassment.

"Tara will explain," Ronin answers, but his eyes were clouded over with uncertainty. "That is...if she even wants to speak with you. You arriving is definitely unexpected. She has a thing with-"

"Not wanting to be seen by mortals," I interrupt without meaning to. Geez, I need to get a grip. I'm losing all of my mannerisms. "I don't know if you know Jack Frost, he's a Guardian like Queen Tara is, but he told me all about how she doesn't like it when mortals see her when it's not necessary. She fears that something bad will come of it."

General Ronin nods. "Indeed, and since you know of this," he pauses, probably to think of the right words, "why is it that you've come? Surely the thought of her not wanting to see you has crossed your mind?"

"It has," I answer honestly, nodding my head and remembering the letter and invitation I have in the envelope that's in my dress pocket. "But the reason why I've come is because...well...I do suppose that's something I should discuss with her. If she'll have me. Let's just say I'm in desperate need for her aide. I wouldn't be here if that wasn't the case."

Ronin nods again and I liked how he didn't question me any further. "Very well. Let us go then. As far as I'm aware, my Queen is free this afternoon, so you've come at a perfect time." He extends his elbow out for me to take, and for a moment I'm tempted to link my arm with him.

But then I remember my curse and how badly it wants to be released because of how badly my nerves are provoking it. The last thing I want to do is freeze this entire kingdom. "Thank you," I start as I elegantly fold my arms over my torso, trying not to hug myself, "but I'd rather keep to myself if you don't mind."

To my surprise, General Ronin's eyes glance down to my gloved hands, as if he knows what they can do. "As you wish," he says, then starts to walk towards the gates of the kingdom, which I realize are made of twigs. "Follow me, your Majesty."

And follow him I do.

I tried to keep my gaze ahead of me, to be as regal and sophisticated as a Queen is supposed to be, but the more we walked through the kingdom of plants, the more I found myself staring. This place is incredible! Bees, butterflies, and birds of all species flew above us, as big as horses, and just like horses they had riders. The majority of the riders are Leafmen, specifically the castle guards since they wore uniforms similar to the soldiers I had met by the gates, but there were some riders who were plants. Actually living plants! With faces!

The sight made me laugh in astonishment.

"See something funny, princess?" Asks Ronin with an amused smile.

Blushing, I say, "Not funny, just...amazing. This place is incredible! It's my first time leaving my castle and I'm just so blown away. It's everything Jack said it would be, but better! It doesn't look like anything I have ever conjured up in mind."

"You and him are close, I assume?" Asks Ronin, and I feel like he doesn't really care, he's just trying to conversate, which I'm grateful for. Awkward silences are the worst.

"We used to be," I admit, pushing away feelings of guilt and sadness. But still my heart ached. "We haven't talked to each other in a year, and it's for the best. Did you know him?"

Ronin groans and says, "Know him? He's pretty much Queen Tara's son."

"So that would make him a prince then?" I wonder out loud, more to myself then asking a legitimate question.

I always knew he was close to Queen Tara, but I never realized that he's her son in a way, therefore indirectly making him the Prince of Moonhaven. The romantic in me is making my heart race at the thought of Jack in princely attire that would match my princess attire, and I quickly shake the ridiculous thought away. He might look good in my head, but let's be honest. He'd look horrible dressed in Royal Arendelle fashions. But what about Moonhaven clothing? No, he wouldn't look good then either. Green isn't his color at all.

But the coloring of royal clothes isn't what makes a person a royal. There's so much more to it, and Jack doesn't have it.

He's just not meant to carry so much responsibility.

But can I?

No, what am I saying? Of course I can. It's my duty. It's my birthright. I was born to be Queen. Ruling Arendelle is what I was meant to do. It's why I was born. Father needed an heir and that's what I am. I will not let him down.

"No," Ronin says, laughing, "definitely not. The day Queen Tara declares Jack a prince is the day I quit being her General and move. Back to you though, you said you haven't talked to Jack in a year and that it's for the best. Why is that?"

"It just is." I answer, not wanting to dive into details with a man I just met.

And luckily, he didn't pry on the matter. Ronin is intimidating for sure, but then again everyone here is. Even the cute flower people. I haven't been surrounded by this many people in years. It's very overwhelming. Ronin is, however, also friendly and knows boundaries. This still doesn't mean I should tell him everything. But if all of Tara's Leafmen Soldiers are this well-mannered then I'd like for us to be allies even more.

A soldier who knows kindness and respect is just as strong and valuable as a soldier who knows the ways of combat.

"You don't need to worry about your powers, by the way." Ronin says after a moment of silence, sending my powers bristling in my veins. "You're only two inches tall. If you froze Moonhaven, Queen Tara will simply grow herself to Stomper size and enlarge the plant life covered in ice to break it off. As for snow and frost, that can easily be melted or swept away."

"How did you know about my powers?" I ask, followed by: "And what's a Stomper?"

"A Stomper is what we call humans like you," Ronin says, eyes ahead on the path to the palace, "And as I mentioned earlier, I used to guard Arendelle. I've witnessed your powers a plethora of times. All of our guards have. You've never noticed because we were either our regular size or because we were your sized but glamoured."

And just like that...

I'm creeped out.

"I...you...but why?" I manage to ask after much trouble.

"We were ordered too. That's why." Ronin answers, keeping it simple. But this is far from simple.

"For what reason?" I ask and I suddenly felt like my sister, asking all these questions. How can I possibly stay quiet though? This is information I need to know. Information I wish I had already known.

I wonder if Jack has known about them. He must have because of his relation with Queen Tara. Is this another secret that he's kept from me this entire time? What more is there?

Ronin stops in his tracks, making me do the same, and looks at me in confusion, which only makes me confused too. "What do you mean, for what reason? You really don't know? I figured you'd know by now."

"Know what?" I say, worried, which causes frost to coat the tips of my fingers from inside my gloves.

_Conceal it, Elsa_, I say to myself, urging my power down while wondering at the same time. What is it that I'm supposed to know?

"About-" Ronin starts, but he cuts himself off quickly and sighs. "Forget it. It's best if you don't know."

My curiosity is intrigued, but I did not pry for more information, no matter how badly I want to know it. I know exactly what it's like keeping something from someone because it's the best thing for them, and yet...I hate not knowing. What was he going to say? Is it really best if I don't know?

I kept my mouth shut as we marched on, and luckily we didn't have much longer to go. Up ahead was a mountain-like structure that probably would have come up to my thigh if I was in my normal "Stomper' size as they call it, but as a being who is only 2 inches tall, the mountain is huge! And falling from it is a beautiful waterfall that feeds the spring below it. Upon seeing the spring water, my eyes land on the trees surrounding us, and that's when I realized.

This kingdom is hidden. It's hidden by the tress that are grown on the tops of the rock pinnacles which are surrounding the kingdom like protective sentinels.

Amazing.

The rest of our journey is done in silence as he leads me inside the palace, which is really the mountain. We passed by a lot of guards whose eyes widened at the sight of me, and I couldn't help but blush at their gazes. How many guards know of me exactly? Of what I can do? All of them? What must be going on through their minds?

Do they see a cursed girl with the ability to freeze them where they stand?

A threat to their kingdom.

Does Ronin see a threat?

He knows what I can do and yet...he's not afraid.

Perhaps that's because he knew me as a child.

Jack...he was never afraid of me.

Not even when I almost hurt him last year during out argument.

I wonder what he's doing right now. I wonder where he's at right now. Is he thinking about me?

A disturbing thought suddenly comes to me, causing my eyes to widen and for my heart to skip a beat. It's me who stops in my tracks this time and everything feels tight. Way too tight. The beat of my heart is racing within seconds and I'm finding it hard to breathe as panic fills me.

Ronin realizes I'm not next to him and turns around with a worried look. "Princess Elsa? Are you alright?"

He couldn't tell because of the gloves, but I knew just by the feeling that the entirety of my hands are covered in frost at the thought that is currently making me sick. "I...I can't," I whisper, so low he probably doesn't hear.

But he does. "Can't what, your Majesty?"

But I don't answer him. Instead I fumble for the envelope in my pocket, being careful not to drop the snow-globe, my only way home. With the envelope now in my hand, I extend it outward for him to take, my shaking visible.

"What-" Ronin starts, but I cut him off.

"Please, just take it," I say, as I put it in his hand, desperate to return home. "Give it to the Queen. I wrote it for her just in case I wouldn't be able to talk to her." I'm stepping away from him then and carefully digging out the snow-globe.

"Wait, your Majesty-" Ronin starts, but I ignore him as I tell the globe my destination. I'm then shaking and throwing it before Ronin could form anymore words.

"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience," I tell him, embarrassed and wanting to get the hell out of there. I run through the portal without a second thought, ignoring his calls for me to wait. He had plenty of time to follow me through the portal, but luckily for him he's a smart man and knew better.

When the portal closes behind me, I quickly take off my gloves, throwing them aside on the floor of my bedroom, and place my hands on the mattress of my bed, releasing the magic within me that is begging for release. And the pleasure at finally letting go was so strong that it actually made me moan out loud in relief. If anyone had walked by my room and heard that moan, their thoughts most certainly went to a dirty place, and honesty...I don't care. I'm too emotional to care.

And when I'm done, the power in my veins satisfied, my bed is partially covered in ice and partially covered frost, and the sight...

Well it makes me cry.

"Damn it, Elsa," I curse at myself as I wipe my tears away. "You were doing so well. You made a fool of yourself. He probably wasn't even there."

But what if he was?

Jack and Mother Nature are close, their relationship equal to a mother and son.

So what if he was there with her?

This is the thought that had went through my mind a moment ago. The thought that had sent me into a panic.

I may want to reunite with Jack, but I am nowhere near ready for it. I still need time. If I was ready, I wouldn't have reacted the way I did. How does one even know if they're ready to reunite with the person they love, but who has also caused them pain?

Because I genuinely don't think I'll ever be ready to meet him again, no matter how much I want it.

And since that's the case, then the only thing I can really do is let him go and move on.

But...

I can't.

I don't know how.

And I probably never will.

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.

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**A.N: I just want to let y'all know that I added some stuff to some of the previous chapters. It's not important to the plot (at least I don't think so. It's mostly dialogues and thoughts that I added) so you I don't think you have to reread. I'd also like to say that if a character feels OOC, just remember that this a multi-crossover ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. That's why I love AU's so much because whenever you accidentally write a character OOC you can just blame it on the AU setting *nervous laughter* Anyway, I hope this chapter didn't suck too much.**

**Also I fucking love that Elsa already loves Jack. If you read the previous chapters, you'll know that he's in a little bit of a denial about his love for her. MUTUAL PINING IS DELICIOUS! I can't wait for it hehehehe. Anyway, sorry for any typos and thank you for reading. Stay tuned for more! ^_^**

***Ronin is from Epic (2013)***


	8. Chapter 8

**~3rd Person POV~**

Ronin watched as the young Queen-to-be frantically ran through the portal, desperate to get away. He wanted to run after her, to calm her down, and to figure out what it was that had her disturbed, but he knew better. If he followed her, he would only stress her out even more. It's not safe to provoke a scared creature.

So run after her he did not, but stare and wonder he did. Her nervousness was clear to see, but she still seemed to have been enjoying herself. Ronin knew her nerves were on high alert in this new environment, but to run away out of the blue like she did? Something must have triggered her, but what? He tried to remember everything that it was that he said, because surely it must have been something that came out of his mouth, but none of it made sense. Not even the mention of Jack, who seems to be the only logical reason. Surely Jack is why Elsa suddenly decided to run off, but she was fine when he was first brought up. So what was it?

When the portal closes, Ronin notices the bystanders who had saw it all, bystanders that Elsa must have known were watching. Or perhaps she didn't notice them at all because she was too focused on getting away. Too focused on giving Ronin the envelope that he's looking at now, addressed to his Queen.

His love.

But that is a story for another time.

Without a second thought, Ronin ignores the bystanders and their stares, and swiftly turns around to continue his travel towards his Queen's Garden, which is where she spends most of her free time and where he was going to take Elsa. He may not know the young heir personally, but he has watched over her from time to time throughout the years, and knows that she would have favored Tara's garden more than anything else in Moonhaven. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't fond of her, and he pities her like he does with his adopted son, Nod.

They both have great potential to be such great leaders, but they hold themselves back.

It's a shame.

The only difference now between Nod and Elsa is that Nod has someone he's trying to improve himself for. Someone who gives him a competition and the attitude to keep him in line.

And her name is Mary Katherine. Or MK for short. She was a former Stomper who ran away from home, from a loving but neglective father who cared more for his work than for her. She almost died when she ran away at 17, barely surviving the natural elements of the world, and when Ronin and his soldiers had found her enormous body, on the brink of death, they fetched for their Queen, who shrunk the girl, and who had personally tended to her wounds and sickness.

MK, like any Stomper would be, was shocked at her discovery and current shrunken state, not believing any of it at all. She was denial for about a week, and when nothing changed, when she finally realized that it was all real, she came around rather quickly, falling love with the world around her.

She fell so hard in love with Moonhaven that when she was given the choice to go back, she refused.

And all the while, Nod was at her side, falling more and more in love with her. They knew each other for about a month until they finally decided to court each other, and now, a year later, they're still going strong. Ronin had thought their relationship had moved too fast, but he kept his mouth shut. He was never was one to get into someone's romantical affairs. Hell, he could barely get into his own with Tara.

Speaking of which, she was indeed in her garden, like Ronin knew she would be, but to his surprise, she wasn't alone. With her was a small, orange, and furry creature. One Ronin knew all too well. One who annoys the hell out of him.

The Lorax. A Forest Guardian. He's called the Guardian of the Forest, but it's only for one forest in particular. He's not a legitimate Guardian like Queen Tara and the others are, and he's also not like the Elementals were with the Northuldra. He's just a short fluffball with one hell of an attitude.

Towards him at least.

Ronin stayed under the entrance to the garden, politely waiting his turn, and while he waited, he listened in on their conversation, one that the Lorax knew he was listening to since the orange creature is facing him. Queen Tara, on the other hand, has her back facing him, so she's unaware of his presence.

"You've grown fond of him, yes? The Once-ler you speak of?" Ronin hears Queen Tara say to the Lorax, who he sees nod his head.

"Yes, my Queen," the Lorax replies. "We've developed a friendship of sorts. However, he's not been himself these last few days. I fear that his greed is building and that it will soon blind him to what's really important. I don't know what to do."

Tara is silent for a moment as she takes in his words. "You do what you must," she answers honestly, "Friendship is important, but your friendship will not last if there are no trees to keep you both alive. If he truly is your friend, he will listen to you."

The orange creature nods his head and says, "Yes, my Queen. The forest must come first. I shall see to it immediately." And with that he bows to Queen Tara and gives Ronin a curt nod, disappearing a second later in a flash of lightning.

When he was no longer in her presence, Queen Tara is quick to address Ronin. "Feeling nosy, Ronin?" She says to her General (and love) as she turns around to face him. "Or did you come to keep me company?"

A smirk was on her face and it made Ronin mirror it. "As much as I _love_ basking in your presence, your Majesty," Ronin says, wanting to be flirty like his Queen but knowing duty comes first, "I am here for a different reason."

"Oh?" Queen Tara inquires with a raise of an eyebrow, her smirk still on her face, believing that Ronin is playing with her. "And what reason is that, _General_?" She hates it when he uses formal titles on her, so she always says them back knowing he hates it just as much.

"This." Ronin says as he extends his hand out, the envelope quickly catching the eyes of Mother Nature, and her playful demeanor changed to one of confusion.

"And what," she starts as she makes her way to him, "is this exactly?" She takes the envelope from him and gasps when she sees the Arendellian crest on the waxed seal. A crocus. "Ronin, what-"

"She gave it to me," Ronin interrupts, getting straight to the point. "Elsa. She came to Moonhaven on her own, using North's teleportation snow-globes. Originally, she was going to talk to you, but out of nowhere she got spooked. Perhaps her nerves got the better of her at the thought of finally seeing you, face to face. Or perhaps it was something else entirely. Whatever the reason, I know not of it. If it's any consolation, she held herself together pretty well."

Tara knew he was referring to Elsa's powers, but she was unable to be impressed when all she could feel is disbelief. "She...she was here?" She knows Ronin had just said that she was a moment before, but still the fact could not wrap itself around her head.

Tara has never made herself known to Elsa. They have never seen each other or have spoken to each other or have even written to each other. And here Elsa was, doing all three. But why? Why visit now when she had the chance before to do so? Tara knows this fully well. There have been many times where she's caught the girl looking at the globes with curiosity and temptation.

To escape.

If Tara had visited more than once a month, perhaps she would have known of Elsa's plan to visit her. Perhaps Tara would have saved her the trouble. Perhaps she would have gone against her vow again and shown herself. Or perhaps she would have ignored the girl completely. Let her explore Moonhaven all she wanted, but to not grant her permission to see the one and only Mother Nature.

Tara knows Elsa has wondered about her before, both through Jack and actually being in Elsa's presence (invisible of course) whenever she would ask about her, but to actually go out of her way to come to her, especially when she is so fearful of her powers? It makes Mother Nature's heart ache.

"Yes," Ronin answers, "I was just as surprised as you." When she doesn't answer, too busy staring at the waxed seal, he continues. "Would you like me to open and read it for you?"

"No," she answers, though deep down her nerves really did want him to. "She wrote it for me, therefore I shall read it. But," she looks up at him with hopeful eyes, "you can stay. If you'd like."

And of course he wasn't going to refuse. Not because she's his Queen, but because she's something way more special to him. "As you wish." He says with a nod, and Tara took that as her cue to be done with it.

"Here we go," she says then takes in a deep breath before breaking the seal and digging out the written material inside.

Her eyes scanned over Elsa's words, the words of a proper invitation followed by the words of a personal favor. She reread Elsa's letter and invitation multiple times, while Ronin patiently waited by her side, reading over Tara's shoulder, and while he only read it once, he waited until his Queen was ready to speak first before voicing his opinion.

"This..." but that was all Tara was able to speak out.

Ronin, however, had a lot to say. "Is something I think you should really consider about doing instead of immediately declining. Aligning ourselves with Arendelle could be beneficial for both of us, and this is coming from someone who's always cautious, always on alert, always-"

"Paranoid?" Tara offered, teasingly to distract herself.

Her General smirks. "Exactly. Either way, Moonhaven will endure. We're fine with or without Arendelle. Whatever you decide will happen accordingly. All I ask is that you think about it."

"But it would mean revealing myself and-"

"And being happy with Iduna's daughters."

Those last words shut Tara up completely and her heart swelled with joy and ache, all mixed into a longing she is no stranger to. It's something her fellow Guardians have felt too. Jack most of all.

"I know that you're persistent on following the ancient rules, but Tara," she looks him in the eyes when he says her name, no title included, which means he's serious. It genuinely makes her heart flutter. "Jack and the others broke that rule many times and nothing bad happened. Everything that has lead us to where we are is because of Pitch. I know you've heard this all before, but Elsa really needs you right now. More so than ever. She is about to become Queen and needs guidance. Real guidance from a real Queen. Who better to guide her than you? Though the situations are entirely different, you did help Iduna before. Why not her daughter? She would want you to. Elsa and Anna are all that's left of Iduna. Do not waste your time watching from the sidelines as they grow and die. Make memories with them and be happy. That's all I want for you. Happiness."

He stops at that, knowing it all must be too much for her, and when he sees her eyes tear up, he's ready to wipe them away when they fall. However, Tara doesn't let that happen. She closes her eyes with a sigh, straightens her posture, and takes a deep breath in. "Your words are wise, Ronin," she finally says as she opens her eyes back up. When their eyes connect, she smiles. "I suppose it'd do me right to listen."

Ronin smiles, glad to have finally gotten to his Queen when others could not. "I've waited a long time to hear those words."

Tara giggles at this, the sound music to Ronin's ears. "Very funny."

"If you don't mind me asking," Ronin starts as he carefully thought of the right words to form for his question. "What made you agree with me? You've been told similar words before, but have not been one to listen with an open mind. I feel that I succeeded too easily and that you're up to something."

Tara smiles sadly at him and says, "Oh my. You really are paranoid." Ronin rolls his eyes at this. "But to answer your question..." her sad smile turns into a full frown. "I am...haunted with many regrets. I always thought that it was too late to fix them somehow, but now..." hope flashes in her eyes and she smiles wide. "Now I think this is a sign of hope. Bunny would agree I think. Actually, I think I better meet up with him and the others. They need to hear about this, especially Jack."

But knowing Jack, he most likely already knows. Even though he and Elsa had a falling out last year, he never stopped watching over her and Anna and the rest of Arendelle. Just like Tara's Leafmen soldiers, they watched in secret, unbeknownst by Elsa and everyone else.

Tara quickly passes Ronin, who is even quicker to stay glued to her side, and heads for the Garden's doorway, her bedroom chambers and the teleporting globes pictured perfectly in the center of her mind, as well as the destination.

The North Pole.

"Also when we get back," she says to Ronin without slowing down her walking, "you're going to help me pick out a new dress."

Because for the first time in a long time, Mother Nature is going to a mortal party.

.

.

.

**A.N: Sorry it's kinda short. Next chapter should be longer. I hope. Also if I don't post on or near Christmas I just want to let you guys know that I wish you a happy holiday and that I hope to update soon! Stay tuned for more ^_^**


	9. Chapter 9

_**~3rd Person POV~**_

The letters had arrived to their destined locations right on the time they were supposed to be, and to say that the invited guests were shocked is an understatement. They were beyond shocked. Confusion, anger, and excitement filled them, diving deep into the very marrow of their bones, which of course brought a few quarrels.

"We're not going," said Francisco, the grandfather to the Crown Princess of Avalor, Princess Elena.

"But Abuelo," she tries, standing her ground, "forging an alliance with Arendelle will be beneficial for us." And for extra measure, she adds: "For Avalor. Why should we not go?"

And to her grandfather, the answer is simple. "Because they betrayed us, Elena," he spat, which shocked not only Elena but the rest of her council. "King Runeard turned his back on us when we needed him most."

His wife, Luisa, knew very well on what he meant, and felt his pain, whereas the others, besides Elena and Estaban, had no clue on what Francisco was going on about. However, they stayed silent as the scene before them unfolded.

"King Runeard no longer lives. He's been dead for years, and according to Arendelle's soon-to-be Queen, she is well aware of his betrayal," Elena said, as she walks over to her grandfather, who sat in his seat at the Council table. She takes his aging hands and holds them in hers, gently squeezing them. "She wants to mend the bonds that her grandfather broke. A person that she's never met. She's only 2 years older than me and she's becoming Queen, Abuelo. She's so young. Inexperienced. She and I can learn a lot from each other. You don't have to go if you don't want to, but _I_ am."

And everyone knew, Francisco included, that when Elena wants something done, she makes sure it happens.

And miles away, another princess said something similar.

_**...**_

"How do you expect me to rule Transylvania one day if you keep me locked inside the castle?" said the 'young' princess of Transylvania, Princess Mavis. "I'm 118 years old and I've never been beyond the castle walls. I'm _bored_ dad. This will be a good learning experience for me. I could learn a lot. I could...I could make friends."

The Princess of Darkness with a Heart of Light looks away from her father to stare into the eyes of her mother. Eyes made of paint.

Mavis never knew her mother, she was killed by humans when Mavis was a baby, but according to her father she's a lot like her. Curious. Adventurous. Friendly. Things that a vampire shouldn't be. Things that her father loved in her mother, but now fears in her, his daughter.

"Humans are _not_ and will _never_ be your friends, Mavis," her father, King (or Count as he likes to be called) Dracula said as gently as he could to his daughter, knowing that it hurts her.

"You were friends with King Runeard though," Mavis said as she turned back around to face him, "And just because his son, Agnarr, ended the alliance with us for reasons we don't know, doesn't mean that we shouldn't give Agnarr's daughter a chance to fix it. Her _wanting_ to fix it is enough, I think."

Dracula shook his head. "I was never friends with Runeard. He was an ass. I used him and he used me. That's all an alliance is, honey-bat. Taking advantage. And since Elsa is Runeard's granddaughter, I'm sure she's just the same as him. Or perhaps she won't socialize as much just like her father. Either way, whichever one she takes after, won't be beneficial for us. She's just like every other human, my dear. Selfish and cruel."

Mavis throws her head back and groans. That's all her father thinks humans are, but deep down Mavis believes that humans are more than just...monsters.

"Oh come on dad!" She tries to reason. "Elsa sounds like a really sweet girl. She's becoming Queen without the guidance of her parents. Without the guidance of...of her mother." Her shoulders slump and as she goes to sit down on her bed, she transforms into a bat, her bat ears drooping automatically, and her blue eyes tearing up. "Unlike me, she knew her mother, but just like me she lost her too. I guess that's where I'm lucky. She grieves someone she knew. I think being motherless would hurt more if I actually knew Mom."

She sighs and quickly continues before her father could try to comfort her. "Look, my point is, Elsa knows what it's like to be motherless. I just...I just want a friend who understands."

And unbeknownst to Mavis, she just said the magic words.

Dracula's heart (which does beat), shattered at his daughter's grief, and while a picture cannot talk, looking at his wife's portrait gave him all the guidance he needed. Martha wouldn't want this for their daughter. She'd want her to explore the world, and while he's not ready for Mavis to see the entire world yet, he supposes this one trip to Arendelle won't be too bad. Just a little taste.

And hopefully she'll hate it so much that she'll never want to leave Transylvania again.

"Alright," he finally says after a moment of heavy thinking. "We'll go."

Mavis gasps and is quick to shift back to her normal form. She steps on her bed so she's towering over her dad. "Are you serious?" She asks with wide, excited eyes.

Dracula chuckles. "As serious as the dead."

Mavis squeals, jumps on her bed a few times, and pounces on her father, arms wrapping tightly around his neck, literally taking his breath away. He didn't complain though. No, he hugged her right back, happy to hold her which he so rarely does these days.

But the worry did not leave his mind.

And he isn't the only father who was worried.

_**...**_

"Now that Tumaro is thriving, they want to align their-selves with us?" said the Caveman Chief of Tumaro, Grug. "Ridiculous."

But like a lot of things, he was the oddball out. Everyone else in his chaotic family was excited for the coronation party.

"Oh come on dad," said his eldest daughter and heir, Eep, as she takes the letter from his hands. "This sounds fun. I could use a change of scenery too. Maybe even a new wardrobe. Ooohhh I wonder what their shoes look and feel like!"

"And just think of all the food they have!" Said Thunk, Eep's brother and the second eldest.

And of course, Guy, Eep's boyfriend (or mate as they like to call each other in secret) added in his personal opinion, much to Grug's annoyance. "They must have some really cool inventions too. I wonder how much they cost? I'd love to bring some back. Or maybe some new materials to make new inventions of my own."

Grug rolls his eyes. Being the overprotective father that he is, Grug hated Guy at first. He hated him with a passion, but as time passed the Chief grew fond of the boy who holds his daughter's heart. He sees him like his own son now, but that does not stop him from being annoyed with him whenever he's too touchy with Eep or when he adds in an opinion that goes against his favor, which he's doing now.

Eep beams at her boyfriend and took his hand in hers. "And with an alliance you can invent so many new things. Both for us and for this Ar-en-delle place. You'd be known throughout their entire land."

Guy squeezes her hand and grins. He opens his mouth to speak, but Grug interrupts before he could breathe a word.

"You all do know that we're not going right?"

But he knew otherwise, especially when his mother-in-law laughs. "Do you hear him?" she says, hand over her belly as she laughs some more. "This idiot really thinks we're going to listen to him. We got invited to a party, and I'll be damned if I don't get my party on. Who's with me?"

Guy, Eep, and Thunk all cheer, while Ugga scolds her mother, leaving Chief Grug to walk out of the cave in annoyance.

_The day you drop dead, _he thinks to himself in regards to his mother-in-law, _is the day the I get my party on._

And while this went on, an Ogre in another kingdom also refused to go.

_**...**_

"I don't care if you want to bring me along, Artie," said the grumpy, tired voice of a very well known ogre named Shrek. "I'm not a toy you can just take with you whenever you want. Plus, I'm a dad now. To not one, but three wee babies. You'll have to take someone else."

And before the young king of 6 months could open his mouth to protest, his cousin is quick to answer. "Well, I'll go then."

And it shocks everyone in the room.

"What?" Says Shrek at the same time King Artie excitedly says, "Really?!"

Fiona hands her daughter to her mother, the baby ogre giggling all the while, and when Felicia is safely secured in her grandmother's arms, Fiona says, "I never got the chance to travel overseas and talk politics with other royals. I got locked away in a tower remember? This sounds fun, and honestly I could use the vacation. Plus, Artie and I need some bonding time. Right, cousin?"

Artie's smile is genuine. "Right! We could learn together."

But the idea of his wife leaving to travel in an unknown land scared Shrek. She's an ogre for crying out loud. The Queen of Aren-whatever may know of Ogres but does the rest of her land know the same? Will they not scream in fear at the sight of his wife? Will they not immediately turn for their weapons? Their fire?

Fiona can take care of herself, Shrek knows this, but it does not stop his worry.

"Wait, hold on," Shrek pleads, looking at his wife in disbelief, "You're not serious are you?"

Fiona knew he wasn't going to like the idea, but she still frowns. "I am, actually. I know it's very sudden. I did just agree to it after all, but Shrek," she sighs before taking hold of his hands, "something is missing and I don't know what it is. I think it might be my purpose-"

"Your purpose?!" he repeats in a cry. "What do you mean your purpose? You have one. You have three," and he points to each of their three children. Felicia in her grandmother's arms, Farkle on the back of Donkey, and Fergus on the floor with Puss.

Fiona shakes her head. "No, you don't understand. I've been feeling this way even before the kids were born. Before they were even conceived. Please, Shrek. I need to do this. This is my chance. If you won't go with Artie, then I will."

"I'd go with you to help guide you," says Queen Lillian as Felicia plays with the shoulder puffs of the Queen's dress, "but I doubt Shrek would survive being here alone with the kids if I went-"

"Hey!"

"-So I shall prepare you and Artie some notes." Because unbeknownst to everyone, Queen Lillian is overwhelmed with guilt. If she and her late husband hadn't have sent their daughter away, Fiona would have all the royal experience that she's seeking out now. And yet, if they hadn't have sent her away, she wouldn't be where she's at now in life. And she knows her daughter would do it all over again if it meant being where she's at now, with her husband and kids and friends and mother.

If only her father were here too.

"Now hold on a second." Shrek said, trying to keep his cool. He doesn't like to admit it, but his mother in law is quite scary. If he were to lose his temper, he'd end up getting a punch to the face and a kick to the balls from her. "Fiona are you sure you want to do this? The children need you."

And Donkey, never wanting to be left out, said: "Uh, Shrek? It sounds like you do."

Shrek glares at his very first and very best and very annoying friend. He opens his mouth to make a remark, but Fiona cut in before the pair of friends went into a quarrel. "The children will be fine," she says, reassuringly as she took her husband's hands into her own. "You had your adventure with Artie. It's time I do too."

And in the village of Berk, someone else was longing for an adventure as well.

_**...**_

"An alliance is exactly what we need right now," says Hiccup, the new Chief of Berk, to his most trusted circle of friends and family as he held Elsa's letter in his hands.

"You're right," says Astrid, "Berk does need new allies, but we need a healthy Chief more. Hiccup, even the blind can see how exhausted you are. Are you sure you have the energy for this? You need a break."

And it's true, a break is definitely needed for the young Chief. He's only 18, the youngest Chief to ever be recorded in their history, and already he's getting grey hair. Astrid had noticed a strand when she was braiding his hair that exact morning, thus the reason why she's against him going. Well...it's one reason.

"How is this not an ideal break?" Hiccup questions as he folds the letter in half and puts it in his pocket. "It sounds like the perfect one to me. An unknown land filled with unknown people who are in celebration. There will be food and music...it sounds like a fun learning experience, while also being political. I'd be killing two birds with one stone."

Astrid sighs, preparing herself for an argument. "Hiccup, we can have a random celebration here. Where you're safe. As for the political part, can't you just exchange letters?"

Hiccup's face softens when it all makes sense.

_Where you're safe_.

She's worried something will happen to him. Just like his father. It's only been four months since Stoick's death, since Hiccup became Chief, but the cut his death has left on everyone still hurts.

"Can I get a moment alone with my betrothed please?" Hiccup asks the others, who all nod and go on their way out the door of the Mead Hall.

And while Astrid has always loved it when Hiccup calls her his betrothed, she was not at all liking it now, knowing that he's not going to back down from this decision. Hiccup never was easy, and Astrid always did love a challenge.

Most of the time.

"There was no need for that," Astrid says to him once the last person walked out the door.

"Oh I think there was," Hiccup counted, reaching or her hand, "Now tell me what's wrong."

Astrid removes her hand to poke him. "What's wrong," _poke_, "is that instead of taking a break here at home," _poke_, "you want to get as far aware from here as possible," _poke_, "where you can't automatically go back to your Chiefly duties," _poke_, "and where there is newfound danger," _poke_, "that you just love getting high off of. I mean, seriously, Hiccup, what's wrong with staying? You can make an alliance through letters. It's been done before. And I'll make sure that if anyone needs anything, that they'll come to me. I'll take care of everything while you relax here. I'm General for a reason."

While the spot she had poked hurt, he let her do it as many times as she wanted, knowing that it's just how she copes.

"You know as well as I do that making an alliance in person is more effective," Hiccup says, reasoning with her like she always does with him, "It strengthens the trust. And yeah, I admit, I do want to get far away from here, but you're making it sound as though I hate it here. I don't. This is my home. My _father's_ home, which he left me to protect. I love Berk, I just...don't want my break to be in a familiar setting. I want to forget for a little while. Is that really so bad? And no, I don't get 'high off danger'. I hate danger. Gods, Astrid, do you know how many times danger has nearly killed me? And Toothless? And _you_-"

"That's why it's called danger-" she interrupts, but he interrupts right back.

"I still get nightmares because of it."

And of course she knows this already. She's the only one he tells his dreams too. She gets them also, but unlike Hiccup, she keeps them to herself. Because to Astrid, she needs to be strong. For herself, for Berk, and especially for _him_.

"Then why go?" she asks, frustrated. "Why risk getting hurt? Why risk _dying_?" She didn't care if she sounded dramatic.

"Because I miss the freedom. I miss the adventure," Hiccup replies, feeling just as frustrated as she, and he knew as soon as he said the words that Astrid wasn't going to like it.

"Miss the adventure?" She repeats, incredulously. "Hiccup, you think that I don't miss it either? I miss it all the time, but we're adults now. We're the Chief and General. We're the most important people here. We have to make sacrifices. Just like-"

But she stops herself from continuing.

_Just like your father did_, she was going to say. And Hiccup knew it.

But instead of getting upset, he reaches for her hand again, and this time she doesn't pull away. "Just like my dad," he says, finishing her sentence.

Astrid's eyes tear up and she looks away from Hiccup's gaze, embarrassed. Astrid isn't ashamed to show her love, an emotion considered weak to some, but she is ashamed to show her sadness, another weak emotion. It's embarrassing to her, and it's hurtful to Hiccup when he sees that, after all these years, she's still embarrassed to cry in front of him.

"It's okay to cry, Astrid," He assures her, "Especially in front of me. You know you can be vulnerable around me. My dad was just as much your father as he was mine."

Mumbling, Astrid says with a nod: "I know." But she's stubborn, so she swallowed back the tears and sobs.

"Come here, you." Hiccup pulls her into a hug then, knowing it was something they both needed, and she gladly accepted his arms and the warmth they gave.

"I know you're scared that something bad will happen to me in Arendelle," he goes on as he rubs her back,"but Astrid, I'm scared that something bad will happen to you _here_, on Berk. Our home. All the time. Gods, _all_ _the freaking_ _time_. And plus," he pulls away to smile reassuringly, "I'll have you right by my side in Arendelle. I'll be safe with you."

Astrid rolls her eyes. "If you run off, which you will, I doubt I can do that."

Grinning, Hiccup says, "Is that your way of telling me that you want me to stay by your side?"

"Of course. I always do," Astrid replies with a smirk, but then turns serious again a second later. "But please, Hiccup. Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"Wait," Hiccup says, surprised. "So we're actually going? You're allowing it?"

"Well, it's your decision," she answers. "You're the Chief. What you say goes. Even if it's something I'm not on board with. I support you in everything. I always got your back. Remember?"

Hiccup places his forehead on hers and says, "How can I forget?" He closes his eyes and breathes in her scent, making Astrid's heart flutter. "Thank you," he says after a moment, then opens his eyes to connect with hers. "I know you'll have fun too. I'll make sure of it."

"I will if you don't stress me out, and don't thank me yet," she says as she gently flicks his nose, startling him. "Save it for when I'm saving your ass. Which I _will_ be doing."

They laugh together in unison, while their nosy group of friends, who were eavesdropping outside, looked at one another in confusion.

"Soooo," Ruffnut drags on, "are we like, going or not?"

"The real question is," says Fishlegs as he looked at the others, "They do know they have to sail there, right? No dragons allowed."

But on another island, sailing is pretty much life.

_**...**_

"Moana we just got back two weeks ago," says the former Chief of Motunui. "And before that we were already sailing for an entire month. Are you not tired?"

His daughter, the new Chief of the tribe, shook her head. "Of course not! I love the water, dad. I could never grow tired of it. And I never grow tired of making friends. This will be fun. Will you and mom please come with me? You don't have to, but please?" She looked at both her parents, who looked at each other, but it was Maui who spoke next, the letter in his hand.

"Well, you know I'm coming. I'm always down for another adventure," he says as he swings an arm around Moana's shoulders. "I'll take care of your daughter if you don't want to come. Consider me the new Chief's personal bodyguard."

And that did not settle well with the former Chief. And the reason for that? Well that's easy. Maui is older, both in his physical age and his actual age, and he's awfully close to Moana, who is only 16 years old. Still a child basically. Even when she's now the leader of their island. Even when so much responsibility is now on her shoulders.

And because she's so young, it wouldn't be surprising if she fell in love with him. Or at least grows a crush on him. And Maui, well he's known for being a flirtatious womanizer, so that also doesn't help ease Tui's worries. And it's not that Tui doesn't trust Maui. He knows the demigod would never try anything with his daughter...now.

Once Moana turns 18, she'll be considered an adult. (Even though, according to her, she should already be considered one since she's now Chief.) So what would stop Maui from perusing something then? Tui doubts the demigod would wait until Moana reaches 25, when her body is fully developed. Why would he when he technically is 'allowed' to be with her in the next two years?

And yes, it's true he'll have no say on who his daughter is romantically interested in by the time she turns 18, but that doesn't mean he can't cause hell, even when Maui has been nothing but a gentleman to his daughter.

So of course, being the protective dad that he is, Tui disagreed with the immortal. "I appreciate that, Maui," he says as he places a hand on his daughter's shoulders, "but since Arendelle isn't like the other islands we've visited, it's best my wife and I tag along to guide her."

Moana excitedly gasps. "So does that mean you'll go?"

Sina giggles as she straightens her daughter's flower crown. "Of course. So long as we're with you, we won't miss it for the world."

But another mother and daughter we're in reversed roles.

_**...**_

"Ugh muuum, I don't want to go," Merida complains as she falls back onto her bed, groaning loudly so her mother could see just how much she doesn't want to leave.

Queen Elinor stood in front of the bed, patiently watching her daughter throw her little tantrum, and when Merida's groaning came to a stop, she says: "Are you done, dear?"

"Give me a minute. I'm taking a break," came Merida's quick reply.

Elinor rolls her eyes and sighs. "Merida, we can't miss this coronation. Not even for the world. And hey, at least it'll give you a break from your brothers. That sounds nice right?"

Merida's lips twitch, wanting to smile, but not quite up for it entirely. "I...can't deny that. But still."

"But why?" Elinor asks as she goes to sit on her daughter's bed. "You're always up for adventure, Merida. You love exploring. Don't think of this as royal business. Think of this as a fun adventure where you can explore a new land. Think of the weapons and sweets and horses. I imagined you'd be excited."

The sadness in Elinor's voice in her last sentence did not go unnoticed to Merida, and when she turns her head over, she sees her mum looking down at the floor, disappointed.

Guilt hits Merida like a horse when she realizes that the importance of the trip is more about spending time together than politics. Groaning again, she sits up, and nudges her mum with her elbow. "Hey, I am excited, I just...I don't want to leave Angus. Can I bring him with me?"

He's her only friend after all and she's not going to go anywhere without her best and only friend. Especially when the land could be filled with magic.

You see, Merida has always believed in magic, has always been fascinated by it, but ever since the events that had happened three months with her mum, Merida has become...fearful of it. She almost lost her mother after all. All because of her selfishness. Magic is beautiful, yes that's true, but it can also be ugly.

And whether it's beautiful or ugly, magic is always dangerous.

_Always_.

It's why she doesn't want to go. Not because she doesn't want to leave Angus behind or do boring royal stuff, but because she wants to keep her parents safe as well as herself. Because one thing is for certain: Magic is everywhere. It resides in Dun'Broch, which means it lives everywhere else too. It must!

And while she knows she could have easily told her mother this, she also knows she'll have to bring up the reason why she fears it, and it's a topic that Merida wants to forget all about. It's a topic that always brings her shame and embarrassment.

"He's not going to like the boat ride," Elinor says, a small smile on her face, "but yes he can come. Shall we meet with the seamstresses now? We must look presentable, and by we I mean you." She giggles and this makes Merida smile.

"You have a point there." Says her daughter and Merida's on her feet before her mother is. When she extends her hand out for her mum to take, Elinor takes it with no hesitation, smiling wide. "As long as I don't have to wear a headdress, I'll let you choose whatever fabric you want."

And in the last Kingdom, the last mother and daughter pair were also trying on dresses when their invitation arrived.

_**...**_

"I can't believe this," says Queen Arianna as she reads over the letter from her niece, tears filling her eyes.

Rapunzel noticed how distressed her mother had become and politely asked the maids and seamstresses to leave so she could have some privacy with her mom. Her _real_ mom. One who she should have known all her life, but has only known for two months. And while they've only known each other for a short time, the love that they feel for one another is as strong as any other healthy bond between a mother and daughter.

"Mom," Rapunzel says once the maids and seamstresses left. "What's wrong?"

Queen Arianna's tearful eyes kept reading the letter over and over, searching and scanning for anything different, anything that would tell her that this was all a dream, anything that would help her not get her hopes up.

But she was failing miserably and her daughter saw.

"Mom," Rapunzel tries again, gently shaking one of her shoulders to snap her out of her trance. "What is it?" Rapunzel glances at the letter but she couldn't make out any words because Queen Arianna had finally came to.

"Oh," she says, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment, "I'm sorry, my love, I...um..." she takes a deep breath in. "I need to sit down." Because if she didn't, she's sure that she'd faint.

"Okay," says Rapunzel worriedly. "Let me help."

And so she carefully leads her mother to the nearest chair and kneels beside her on the floor. The now found Princess of Corona looks back at the letter in her mother's hands, which now had crinkled sides from being held so tightly.

Rapunzel tries to stay positive, but from the way her mother is acting...well it's genuinely scaring her. "Did someone wage war on us?" She asks, praying the answer would be no. But what else could it possibly be? Why would her mom react like that?

But when her mother laughs, Rapunzel's confusion grows.

"War?" says the Queen. "Good Heavens, no. I'm so sorry for making you think that. I didn't mean to worry you." She reaches forward to cup her daughter's cheek and Rapunzel happily leans into her mother's touch.

"So what's wrong then?" she asks, relieved but still worried.

Arianna is hesitate, not because she doesn't want her daughter to know, but because it's a sensitive topic that hurts to talk about. "I have an older brother," she answers, gathering strength, "who lives in a kingdom not too far from here. It's called Arendelle. I haven't been there in 10 years and the letter..."

Rapunzel gasps in excitement, thinking she knew. "It's from him! He wants to reunite with you. But why after all this time? How come you haven't visited in 10 years?"

Arianna's throat is dry, but her eyes are not. "Because he shut me out and...I don't know why."

Rapunzel's jaw drops in shock. "What?! That's awful. How could he do such a thing?"

Arianna shrugs. "I wish I knew, my love. But his eldest daughter is having a coronation to become Queen and the letter is actually written from her. She's invited us and wants to fix what my brother broke."

And for a third time, Rapunzel's eyes go wide. "Wait a second, I have a cousin?!"

Arianna giggles at her daughter's excitement and holds up two fingers. "Two actually. Elsa and Anna. After Gothel had taken you, my nieces became like my own daughters. So when Agnarr, my brother, shut me out...it was like I was losing my children too. I'm surprised Elsa even remembers Frederick and I. I wonder if Anna does too. They were both younger than 10 when we last saw them. They're going to be in quite a shock when they see you. We never told them about you and your kidnapping. We didn't want to their hearts to hurt. It's not something you just tell a child."

She knowingly nods and says: "I understand." And to quickly change the topic, she asks: "So how old are they? My cousins?" The word felt strange on her tongue, just like the word father. The word mother, however, she's used to.

Just not towards someone who didn't raise her.

Someone who _should_ have raised her.

Someone who had that chance stolen from her.

And once again, the Found Princess's heart aches.

"Anna just turned 16 in March," Queen Arianna answers, "and a few months before in the previous year, Elsa turned 18 in December. You and her are the same age, just six months apart."

_Eighteen_, thinks Rapunzel, _Elsa is my age and yet she's becoming Queen? Is she even ready for it? I don't think I would, even if I grew up as a princess. The lifestyle I was supposed to have..._

"Don't you have to be 21 to take the throne though?" she asks, stopping her thoughts from saddening again, and expecting a certain answer.

Instead she's greeted with confusion that mirrored her own.

"Actually...you're right," her mother says, her eyes widening and looking back down at the letter, frantically scanning.

"Mom-" Rapunzel tries, worried again, but she's cut off when the Queen speaks.

"It's rare but not uncommon for heirs to take the throne when they're 18," she says as she rereads the letter for the hundredth time, "When that happens it either means that the parents felt they were ready earlier than expected, the parents no longer wanted the burden of the crown, or..."

Arianna's throat becomes dryer than before and unbearably tight. Fear fills her eyes and when she looks over at her daughter, who was patiently waiting, she let that fear slide down her cheeks. "...or the parents are dead."

And unbeknownst to all of them, a creature made of black sand was watching them all.

_**...**_

"So these are Elsa's special guests?" says Pitch as he watches the black, sandy memories that his Night-Mare spies shown above their heads.

The horses made of black sand each neigh and nod their heads, answering their creator. Pitch chuckles, sinisterly, flashing his sharp, shark-like teeth.

"How peculiar," he says as he caresses the face of one of his Night-Mares, "but then again, Elsa herself is peculiar too, now isn't she?"

And as he says this, he looks over his shoulder, where the soon-to-be Queen slept, soaked in sweat from the nightmare made of sand and snow that played above her head. She stirred, brows narrowing in fear, and mumbled out a plea.

The snow that mixed with Pitch's black sand started to pile on her pillow, as well as the sides of her bed and floor, and when a couple of snowflakes land in his hair, decorating his head, he leaves them there, unbothered.

"Yes," he says, more to himself than to his creatures, watching her with gold, lustful eyes, "Very peculiar indeed."

.

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**A.N.: This took me forever to do! There were so many ways I could have introduced all the characters, and I hope I chose right. Also I'm so sorry for the wait. I won't promise that I'll update sooner, but I will promise that I'll try. How have ya'll been doing? Good I hope! Anyway I also hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you have any ideas or things you want to happen, don't be shy to tell me in the comments. I'd love to hear your ideas! So stay tuned for more! :D**


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